Ukrainian President Emphasizes The Importance Of Keeping The Economy Amid Troop Mobilization

JAKARTA - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said a balance was needed between mobilizing troops and keeping the war-torn economy running.

Answering questions from a worker during his visit to industrial facilities in Kropyvnytskyi, Zelenskiy said filling the job was essential to paying soldiers salaries and defense efforts to Ukraine.

Everyone is interested in having a factory that has full staff. This is important to us. We can't lose the army and reserves, but we also really need workers for our work. We have to find a balance," he said.

The war with Russia, which is now entering its 30th month, has drained Ukraine's workforce, and more than 70 percent of companies say labor shortages are one of their main challenges.

Since the Russian invasion in February 2022, millions have fled fighting and settled in Europe. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of Ukrainian men were mobilized to the armed forces.

The government recently strengthened mobilization rules because it needed to rotate tired and tired troops.

But Ukraine needs to maintain its economy to ensure the country has sufficient state revenue to fund its defense efforts.

Ukraine's 2024 budget is planned to spend nearly $40 billion about half of its total defense spending. Defense spending is covered by taxes and other state revenues.

The government relies on financial support from its Western allies to finance social and humanitarian spending.