Ukraine's Finance Minister: Too early to talk about funds for rebuilding Donbas infrastructure

Ukrainian Finance Minister Oksana Markarova says it is too early to talk about funds for rebuilding infrastructure in Donbas, eastern Ukraine, because the most important thing is security.

"I think it's too early to talk about this now," she told Radio Free Europe/ Radio Liberty's Ukrainian Service. "But we are aware that the financial issue will be very important in that matter, but it is not the main one. The most important thing is the issue of security, these are our territories, we will always fight for them. I think it's too early to comment on financial issues."

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According to her, the introduced draft budget has funds for local elections in Donbas and for social programs.

"The draft budget is planned according to the legislation that exists now. Therefore, we have programs there to help internally displaced persons, there are programs that directly relate to solving pressing issues of that zone, which is close to ... [war] veterans. But these issues are incorporated within other social programs. Therefore, several ministries are involved in them. They are incorporated within social subsidies, of which we have several tens of billions, and within others," the minister explained.