In Ukraine, it is necessary to continue mobilization, but the Ministry of Defense is ready to talk and work with businesses to discuss assistance in matters of employee reservations, emphasized Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.

"Next year, in order to maintain defense... we must continue mobilization. But this summer, together with our colleagues from the Cabinet of Ministers, we worked on what we heard, that the economy needs reservations... We, for our part, have reserved the number of people, but we must continue mobilization. Therefore, we will always be open to working with associations and ask you to contact us and explain, to argue, how we can help you," he said at the annual general meeting of the European Business Association (EBA) in Kyiv on Tuesday, the correspondent of the Interfax-Ukraine agency reports.

According to Umerov, the Ministry of Defense, as a military component, voices its goals and objectives, but "hears" business. "In the summer, we already helped create a reserve, but if you need to reserve more, you need to come and talk together, and we will help," the minister assured.

He emphasized that the Ministry of Defense wants to work with business and is ready to communicate.

"We, as the Ministry of Defense, are ready, together with other ministries, the Ministry of Strategic Industries, the President's Office, to provide contracts to business so that you fulfill our defense orders, help us not only with weapons and military equipment, legal services, investment banking and others. We want to talk to you. And therefore, if there is such a proposal, I am ready to respond and organize a meeting with you," Umerov noted.

At the same time, he pointed out that the Ministry of Defense is trying to "change the paradigm" so that serving in the army is an honor, and "not what society now perceives: busification, recruitment centers."

"These are the issues and tasks that we face, and this is a very problematic issue for us. We are trying to change approaches and principles. And today we adopted a resolution to allow transfers [of soldiers between units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces]. We will continue to work, we are now prioritizing training," the minister said.

Speaking about the situation in the defense sector as a whole, Umerov emphasized that defense operations, training, and education of the military are continuing.

"The weapons and military equipment that we receive as part of international military aid are coming. Now we are prioritizing, together with the Ministry of Strategic Industries and the President's Office, investments in weapons, in the defense industry. We believe that we will be able to overcome difficulties and be well prepared for 2025," he said.