“There will be a National Security and Defense Council meeting any day now to discuss the military budget for next year,” Poroshenko said during a Cabinet of Ministers meeting.
Poroshenko said that Kiev needs to increase its defense spending.
In contrast, Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said two weeks ago that the estimated $4.5 billion to finance the defense ministry this year would preserve existing military spending levels.
Despite the country's efforts to switch to a contract military service, Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Peter Mehed has not ruled out three additional mobilization waves. The previous six drafts were estimated to have had a 60-percent rate of completion.
“The first and main threat is [a renewal of full-force military operations] at any moment, regardless of the fact that we have seen a full ceasefire over the last two days… Along the entire 500-kilometer front, there has been no artillery firing, no shelling, or no gunfire opened,” Poroshenko added.