KYIV, Dec 19 (Reuters) – Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky said on Tuesday that the army had requested an additional 450,000 to 500,000 personnel be mobilized into the army, adding, however, that no final decision had been made on time.
During a press conference in Kyiv, the Ukrainian leader indicated that a meeting was to be held between government representatives and the military command to discuss “this very sensitive issue of mobilization”. Parliament will then be responsible for ruling on the subject, he said.
Volodimir Zelensky said that a mobilization of this magnitude would require additional funding.
“I made it clear that I needed more arguments to support this measure. Because first and foremost it is about the people; then it is a question of fairness, a question of defense capabilities and a question of finances,” said the Ukrainian president, referring to the sum of 13.5 billion dollars to finance such additional mobilization.
Earlier this year, former Defense Minister Oleksi Reznikov reported that around a million people had joined the security and defense sectors. (Reporting Pavel Polityuk, Max Hunder and Olena Harmash; French version Jean Terzian)
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