On 4 April, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said the latest NATO Council meeting in Brussels has underscored the growing interest of Ukraine’s allies in its defense industry, their readiness to invest in the development of joint defense enterprises, and to use their products, according to UkrInform.
“We are clearly emphasizing that our priority is our defense industry. We’ve surprised the world with our capabilities. Just yesterday, there were proposals for direct orders from our manufacturers for weaponry produced in Ukraine, which in many cases is far superior to Western models. There was also discussion about investment, marking a new chapter, a new level of support for our defense sector,” said Sybiha.
He stated that the Ukrainian delegation presented data to partners on the capacity utilization of the defense industry. Ukrainian officials also highlighted the funding gap amid Russia’s war and the lack of additional financial resources that could fully engage defense production.
“We conveyed all of this to our partners, who are now well aware of our realities. We also discussed certain bureaucratic challenges, as they are very pragmatic and practical people. Our dialogue focused on creating the most favorable conditions for expanding the capabilities of our defense sector in collaboration with our partners,” Sybiha noted.
He expressed confidence that the allies understand the mutual benefits of cooperating with Ukraine in the defense sector.
“They all recognize that this is a mutually beneficial partnership, that in the future they will need our knowledge and expertise, and that the current support for Ukraine is an investment in the future of European security. Our friends and allies now view our defense complex as part of the European system, which is interoperable and complementary,” the Ukrainian foreign minister emphasized.
The NATO foreign ministers’ meeting in Brussels discussed ways to strengthen NATO’s defense and deterrence capabilities and increase support for Ukraine.
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