Ukraine’s Veterans Affairs Minister Vitalii Kim described plans for veteran services as the country faces growing wartime needs, while a France 24 interview placed those pressures against uncertainty over a €90 billion European aid package.
France 24 put the number of veterans already needing assistance at about 1.5 million and said projections point to a substantially larger population in the years ahead. The broadcaster described reintegration as a test of Ukraine’s ability to address the social and institutional effects of a prolonged war.
Kim said his plans would make administrative steps easier for former service members, expand mental health care and bring in French expertise. He said Ukraine would keep fighting without European backing: “If Europe will not support us, we also will fight because it's our motherland.”
France 24 described the conflict as a war of attrition. It reported that civilians in Kherson face shelling and attacks from low-cost drones with limited range, while repeated Russian strikes are compounding damage to Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. Kim summed up the strain on people: “People just get tired.”
The broadcaster said Kim was visiting Paris for discussions with French defense officials. It published the interview Oct. 28, amid speculation about U.S. President Donald Trump bringing the Russian and Ukrainian presidents together. Asked about that possibility, Kim noted that he needed to be politically correct, then said, “I have no reaction. I have only my job to do.”
