According to him, Ukraine has enough weapons and finances for approximately six months.
The potential halt in assistance from the team of the elected U.S. President Donald Trump, who will take office at the end of January 2025, poses a significant challenge to Ukraine's defense capabilities. However, he believes that even such a scenario would not lead to an inevitable collapse.
"We need to have a cooperation plan with the new administration [of the U.S.]. Naturally, it's in Ukraine's interest to build trust-based cooperation. I think this should be a priority strategy for both Ukraine and Europe," he is quoted by "Ukrainian Truth".
Marchenko noted that "at least for the first half of the year," the defense forces are well-armed,
"I believe we have enough resources, enough weapons, enough missiles and artillery shells to resist at least until the first half of 2025. We will ensure sufficient budget allocations for the procurement of ammunition and necessary military equipment in 2025," he assured.
The White House's attitude towards Ukraine may change, and to navigate the uncertainty that exists during the transition period, Ukraine must "make good use of the time and be capable of negotiating with the new administration," the minister stated.
"Ukraine must use this time very wisely to conduct the necessary negotiations with our key allies in the U.S.," he concluded.