Ukraine may allow arms exports: Official reveals details
Photo: Advisor to the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Mykhailo Podolyak (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
Ukraine may allow the export of its own weapons as early as this year or next. This would, in particular, help the country reinvest the earnings into its defense capabilities, states Mykhailo Podolyak, advisor to the head of the Office of the President, in a comment to the YouTube channel of RBC-Ukraine.
The journalist asked whether there is at least a small chance that the issue of exporting Ukrainian weapons could be resolved in the near future, this year or next. In response, the advisor said that it's not a small chance, but a very real one.
"There is not a small, but a reasonable chance that this will be resolved. This issue has been raised multiple times already, and it is quite understandable. Because there is an opportunity to earn money that can be reinvested into our defense capabilities," explained the advisor to the head of the President's Office.
He explained that if the state cannot buy everything produced by Ukrainian arms manufacturers, then there needs to be an opportunity to sell it.
"Moreover, European partners say they are ready to buy this and send it back to Ukraine. So, such schemes are being discussed, and I believe such decisions will be made," Podolyak said.
At the same time, he emphasized that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also understands how beneficial it is for Ukraine to have this kind of cash flow.
"This way, the state can both purchase weapons and sell the surplus, which, again, could be supplied back to Ukraine by our partners," he added.
Countries are ready to purchase weapons from Ukraine
Last year, Ukraine and Denmark launched a new initiative to invest in the production of domestic weaponry. Under this project, partners allocate funds to Ukrainian arms production and gain access to advanced military technologies.
Lithuania and Sweden have already joined the initiative. Lithuania has allocated €10 million for the production of long-range weapons, including the Palianytsia project, while Sweden announced it will provide funding for the production of Ukrainian long-range drones.
Earlier this month, European Union Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius stated that the EU could significantly increase its military support for Ukraine.
According to him, this can be achieved by purchasing weapons directly from Ukrainian manufacturers.
