Zelensky: Defense is priority for state and every community

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said this at a meeting of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities in Ivano-Frankivsk on Sunday, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"The budget is a mirror of the priorities of the state, region, and every community. And now there can be only one top priority in Ukraine - defense," Zelensky said.

He added that the second priority in Ukraine for communities of all levels should be the social stability of the country, that is, the protection of the normal life of every Ukrainian.

According to Zelensky, Ukrainian soldiers and people should feel that the state and communities are concerned about the needs of combat brigades and units, as well as the needs of the border regions that are under constant shelling and missile strikes. Therefore, the first tasks for local communities should include assistance to the military and volunteers, treatment and rehabilitation of injured people, he said.

"Now is definitely not the time to replace cobblestones, sorry. We will not drive the enemy out of the state with cobblestones. Therefore, we will decorate the already victorious cities," Zelensky added.

He called on the local authorities "to be assistants in the defense of the country."

Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine