Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has said that the United States and Europe had initially turned down Kyiv's request for military aid because the Ukrainian army did not have anyone to use such aid efficiently.
“A year ago we had no friends, no one trusted us. I can now reveal the situation: when I invited our American and European partners to provide us with military aid, I as president was shocked to hear their reply: no, we cannot help you,” Poroshenko said in an interview on the ‘Prime Time with Myroslava Gongadze’ program aired on the First National television channel on Sept. 10.
The president added that when he asked Western partners why Ukraine could not count on such aid, their reply was: Ukraine does not have a combat-capable army to which to apply such aid efficiently.
“They said there were three reasons: first, you do not have an army. What you have is, first, it is infiltrated by Russian agents, and whatever we give you will end up in Russia; second, it is corrupt. This is exactly why we cannot help you, Mr. President,” Poroshenko said.
He added that in this situation volunteers played a special role in creating a new Ukrainian army.
