The NSDC of Ukraine discussed the issue of priority measures to ensure national security from internal and external threats
At a meeting on Thursday chaired by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine discussed priority measures to ensure national security from internal and external threats.
Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Oleksiy Danilov announced this at a briefing after the meeting. 21 issues were included in the agenda.
In particular, the issue of conclusions on the assessment of the situation around the state border of Ukraine was considered. Heads of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Kyrylo Budanov and the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine Oleksandr Lytvynenko presented reports.
In addition, the NSDC considered the issues of mechanisms for implementing the Defense Plan of Ukraine. The report was made by the Minister of Defense of Ukraine Oleksiy Reznikov.
“For the first time in 30 years, our country’s Defense Plan has been adopted. It provides for total defense. If previously only the military was concerned about this issue, today this plan is more detailed, many more institutions and organizations are involved in ensuring defense”, - Mr. Danilov said, recalling that the law on the fundamentals of national resistance will come into force on January 1, 2022.
The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valeriy Zaluzhny made a report on the readiness of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to fulfill the tasks assigned to them.
The report of the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Mykola Tochytskyi on possible steps of international partners in case of aggravation of the situation around our country was also heard.
According to the NSDC, the reports of the Head of the Security Service of Ukraine Ivan Bakanov and the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Denys Monastyrsky on counteracting external and internal attempts to destabilize the situation inside the country were heard.
Director of the National Institute for Strategic Studies Oleksandr Bogomolov informed about the development of scientifically sound proposals to combat external threats.
The Minister of Internal Affairs also presented a report on the results of the Public Security and Civil Protection Review. The SSU Head presented a report on the State Security Strategy.
The Cyber Security Strategy Implementation Plan has been approved, which provides for the implementation of measures to strengthen the state’s cybersecurity. Deputy Secretary of the NSDC of Ukraine Serhiy Demedyuk made a report.
Also, according to the NSDC Secretary, the meeting focused on the implementation of decisions on the imposition of sanctions against smugglers. “Sanctions do their job”, - Mr. Danilov said emphasizing that as a result of their application to the state budget additionally collected 71 billion hryvnias.
The report of the Minister of Health of Ukraine Viktor Lyashko on the spread of Omicron coronavirus disease in Ukraine was also heard. The President of Ukraine stressed the importance of vaccination.
Reports of Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmygal and Minister of Energy of Ukraine Herman Halushchenko on the current state of affairs in the energy sector were heard.
The “road map" for the implementation of the Law of Ukraine “On Prevention of Threats to National Security Related to Excessive Influence of Persons Who Have Significant Economic and Political Weight in Public Life (Oligarchs)” was discussed.
“We understand that this law should start working by the end of May”, - Mr. Danilov said predicting that the first oligarchs could be identified at a meeting of the NSDC of Ukraine in late May next year.
In addition, according to the NSDC Secretary, several protocol resolutions were approved, in particular, on providing housing for servicemen and veterans; resolving within a month the issue of equalizing salaries of servicemen; questions regarding the possibility of synchronizing sanctions with partners in case sanctions against citizens of Ukraine are applied; instructing the government to establish an interagency working group to inspect the supply of basic weapons, military equipment and food to the Armed Forces of Ukraine from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2021 (for the last five years).
Oleksiy Danilov also said that he presented a report on the results of the NSDC’s work in 2021. According to the Secretary of the Council, this year the NSDC held 36 meetings, at which 150 issues were considered, about 90 decisions were adopted and implemented by decrees of the President of Ukraine. “This is the largest number of meetings since the independence of our state”, - he said.