Defense minister confirms more weapons pledges, arms production after foreign visit
A meeting with Western defense partners yielded "concrete results" for Ukraine, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov reported on Oct. 13.
Umerov visited counterparts from France, the U.K., Italy, and Germany as part of a delegation headed by President Volodymyr Zelensky.
"(A)ll four countries confirmed that investments in Ukraine's industrial-defense complex will grow," Umerov said via Telegram.
The U.K. pledged to provide additional long-range weapons, artillery systems, and robotic systems, while French President Emmanuel Macron discussed the possibility of opening a training center for drone operators in France, according to the announcement.
Frozen Russian assets will be used to finance Ukraine's defense needs, Umerov said.
"We discussed specific steps to increase the production of weapons — both in Ukraine and through the creation of joint ventures with our European partners," Umerov said.
"This will make it possible to manufacture equipment, weapons and ammunition for the Defense Forces within a fundamentally new format of cooperation."
Kyiv now aims to become a global leader in the defense sector, but with its economy drained by the war, it needs foreign investment and partnerships to accomplish this goal.
Ukraine has the capacity to produce around $20 billion worth of weapons and equipment, according to government estimates, but the state budget can only fund around $6 billion.
Foreign companies are increasingly making deals to jointly produce weaponry in Ukraine, including 155 shells, loitering munitions, and specialty chemicals.
Earlier this month, Zelensky highlighted that Ukraine has exponentially increased domestic ammunition production over the past two years and has successfully tested its own ballistic missile.
"In the first half of this year alone, Ukraine produced 25 times more artillery and mortar ammunition than in the entire year of 2022," Zelensky said.
Andrea Januta
