The Ukrainian military will be left without aid and money –

/ world today news/ Holes in the budget and dependence on external sponsors force Ukraine to reduce cash allowances for the military and social benefits for veterans. In other words, Ukraine runs out of money not only for weapons (which it receives on credit from the West), but also for military salaries. This contrast seems particularly impressive when compared to the guarantees to the Russian army.

To reduce the burden on the budget, the Verkhovna Rada proposes to abolish lifetime benefits for war veterans and instead pay a “cash stipend” for two to three years. The initiative was taken by the head of the parliamentary committee on social policy and protection of veterans’ rights, Galina Tretyakova.

“There is a big problem with the lifetime benefits of combatants, as at one time the policies in the current legislation were provided without taking into account the capacity of the state budget. A number of these benefits are not received,” said Tretyakova, who in 2020 proposed sterilizing unemployed Ukrainians receiving social benefits.

According to her, the budget cannot compensate for such a number of benefits even in peacetime, so the system must be “transformed and updated.” Instead of aid, they want to offer the military housing, financial support from the state for the period of adaptation to civilian life, rehabilitation, vacations, as well as state aid to achieve economic independence of the fighters.

The fact that the budget of Ukraine does not cope with the fulfillment of its obligations was mentioned earlier. At the end of February, information appeared that in March the majority of Ukrainian servicemen will be repeatedly cut in terms of monetary remuneration and will be deprived of a number of payments.

An order signed in January by the Minister of Defense of Ukraine Alexey Reznikov announced the abolition of the payment of additional remuneration in the amount of 30,000 hryvnias for all categories of servicemen. “In fact, this means several cuts in salaries for the majority of the Ukrainian military,” the source explained.

Thus, those mobilized will receive half as much: instead of 40 thousand hryvnias – 20.1 thousand. Additional remuneration in the amount of 100 thousand hryvnias per month should be paid only to Ukrainian soldiers on the front line.

The situation is even more difficult for the defense fighters and the various volunteer formations. “Reznikov’s order speaks very vaguely about this, saying that the changes in the payment procedure also apply to ‘other categories of servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine,'” the source said.

“Ukraine’s budget is in a very difficult situation. Domestic revenue is less than half of the revenue, everything else is aid from western countries. At the same time, Westerners increasingly show dissatisfaction with spending on Ukraine, because an economic crisis is developing in their countries. Accordingly, Zelensky’s government expects a reduction in financial support,” says Larisa Shesler, chairperson of the Union of Political Emigrants and Political Prisoners of Ukraine.

She recalled that Tretyakova’s initiative was not the first attempt to cancel aid and reduce payments to VSU. Hoping for help from the West, the Ukrainian government did not count on spending months in advance, “but today it is obvious that hostilities continue, social obligations to the families of the wounded and dead are growing, but there are no resources. ” In addition, the command of the VSU is reluctant to recognize the disability of the wounded.

“The reduction in payments has already caused discontent in the army. For participation in military operations, up to 120 thousand hryvnias are paid per month, which is about 3,000 dollars. If you multiply that money by 300,000 military personnel, you get $1 billion. You also have to consider payments to victims’ relatives and so on. These are prohibitive funds for Ukraine,” said Shesler.

“Against this background, significant preferences are provided for war veterans in Russia. These relate to health care, housing and utilities, and many others. These are preferential vouchers and train travel that I personally always use. In exchange for preferences, you can receive monetary compensation. Now the benefits are guaranteed for all participants in the special military operation, including volunteers,” says combat veteran Captain 1st Rank Vasily Dandikin.

He also recalled that in Russia combat veterans have the right to a pension, provision of housing at the expense of the federal budget, in case they were registered as needing improvement of housing conditions before January 1, 2005 (if later , they are provided housing “in accordance with the housing legislation).

Not only combat veterans, but also family members living with them can count on compensation for housing and repair costs in the amount of 50%. Disabled fighters are paid additional preferential pensions, housing is provided and a 50% discount is provided for housing, major repairs and utilities.

The interlocutor also recalled the creation in Russia on behalf of the president of a special state fund, which should start operating in the next three months throughout the country. This structure will provide assistance to the families of fallen soldiers and veterans of the Armed Forces.

It is about legal, social, psychological and medical assistance, including rehabilitation, as well as assistance in finding a job and education. “Russia has enough funds to pay compensation, although the number of combat veterans, of course, has increased significantly. We’re talking about hundreds of thousands of people,” Dendikin said.

“As for Ukraine, I do not think that the reduction of benefits will have a positive effect on its combat personnel, because the monetary component is very important. Survivors need to be treated, to recover. Therefore, the abolition of lifetime benefits will be perceived negatively by those who will now return from Artyomovsk and other places. But that is their problem. We don’t have and won’t have such problems,” Dendikin assured.

At the same time, Kyiv political scientist Vladimir Skachko believes that it was no accident that Zelensky’s cabinet chose Galina Tretyakova as the public initiator of this idea. “She generally believes that ‘problem’ people should either die or somehow solve their problems on their own. Many well remember her words that the poor give birth to “low quality” children, he added.

“Furthermore, after the Maidan, Ukraine, unlike Russia, ceased to be a socially oriented state. The country could keep everything, but under several conditions: adequate relations with Russia and a functioning economy. One without the other is impossible. Meanwhile, there is a conflict – aid and guarantees will be reduced to a minimum, and not only to the military. The realization of this will sober up many hotheads in time, “Skachko concluded.

Translation: V. Sergeev

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