Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko has said cash assets listed in e-declarations are not "zero declarations."

During an international forum on Thursday in Lviv the Ukrainian president said he is counting on the effectiveness of anti-corruption measures, such as the e-declaration system.

"People declared cash assets, thinking it would be tantamount to a "zero declaration" in order to avoid checks. But the aim of the e-declaration system is to put an end to what these people have been doing for the past 25 years, so that they could explain where they got their assets. People have a right to know. And it's necessary not to fight against rich people, as some think, but to fight against criminals," the president said.

Poroshenko said criminals are the people who are "acquiring apartments, cars, summer houses, villas, planes while working as public servants."

"The first step was taken by the president, who was forced to declare everything, from couch pillows to cups in the kitchen. No president has ever done that. However, if I do this then I have the right to force everyone else to do it. I do not understand why military servicemen with weapons in their hands defending our country should be required to submit e-declarations from January 1. They have better things to do," Porsohenko said. He added, "Government workers are required to open and transparent."