Ukraine's president pledges increased defence spending

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis call for prayers for Ukraine Sunday came at a troubled time for the nation: Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko pledged to increase defense spending by billions of dollars to boost the army at a time of war in the east of the country.

Listen to Stefan Bos' report: 

The battle between pro-Russian separatists and government forces also overshadowed Ukraine's annual Independence Day celebrations, which remembers how the country broke away from the Soviet Union in 1991. 

Many of the 1,500 soldiers participating in the ceremonial march in the capital Kiev were later heading back to the front lines. 

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko watched the ceremony beneath the new memorial to the 100 civilians who died during recent protests in Kiev. 

Those demonstrations led to the ouster of pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych. But it was followed by a rebellion in April in eastern Ukraine. 

MORE THREATS

Though the army recaptured territory from pro-Russian rebels, Poroshenko warned Ukraine would be “under threat for the foreseeable future”. 

He therefore approved a plan to increase defence spending by as much 50 percent, pledging an additional three billion dollars by 2017.   

"This war was not our initiative. It was forced upon us from the outside. Our choice is peace and implementing a peaceful plan for Donbas", he said referring to the region in eastern Ukraine. 

"Ukraine values very highly the support of those who showed that they are our true friends and partners: the European Union, the United States and other nations. Friends! The whole world is with us!”, he told thousands of people in downtown Kiev. 

Poroshenko spoke after talks with Germany's chancellor Angela Merkel. The German leader pledged $660 million for rebuilding infrastructure that was destroyed by months of fighting and German medical treatment for wounded soldiers.

MERKEL PLAN 

Poroshenko compared it to the Marshall Plan implemented after World War Two to rebuild Europe, calling this the “Merkel Plan”.

Merkel also said the open border between Russia and Ukraine must be placed under international supervision before there could be any ceasefire.

And, she backs decentralisation as well as Kiev showing respect for cultural and linguistic differences with many Russian speakers in eastern Ukraine. 

"What we would call federalism in Germany, should be called decentralisation in Ukraine. This is exactly what the president and myself want and what I support," she told media. "I think as well that this is an important step to further include the Russian-speaking population."

Ukraine's president heads to Belarus this week for talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and the European Union on how to end a crisis that has left more than 2,000 people, many more injured, and displaced hundreds of thousands of men, women and children.