Current:Home > MyUkraine hosts a defense industry forum seeking to ramp up weapons production for the war-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
Ukraine hosts a defense industry forum seeking to ramp up weapons production for the war
View Date:2024-12-23 19:08:09
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine hosted an international defense industry conference as part of a government effort to ramp up weapons production within the country to repel Russia’s full-scale invasion and reduce foreign dependence on arms deliveries.
The event marked a new development in support of Ukraine, with the previous focus being on the delivery of weapons, repair of damaged equipment and military training of Ukrainian soldiers.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, speaking at the opening of the International Defense Industries Forum, said that around 250 defense companies from more than 30 countries had gathered Friday in Kyiv. Defense ministers and representatives of several countries also attended the event.
“Heroism alone cannot intercept missiles. Ukraine needs capabilities, high quality, high quantity, and quickly. There is no defense without industry,” said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who spoke by video link during the forum on the day after his visit to Kyiv.
Stoltenberg said that Wendy Gilmour, who is NATO’s assistant secretary general for defense investments, was representing the trans-Atlantic alliance at the event.
Stoltenberg acknowledged that many allies have significantly depleted their stocks in order to support Ukraine. “This was the right thing to do, but now we need to ramp up production, both to meet Ukraine’s needs and to ensure our own deterrence in events,” he said.
Zelenskyy disclosed the details of his recent trip to Washington, where he agreed with U.S. President Joe Biden on “the establishment of a new industrial ecosystem that will strengthen both Ukraine and all the partners.” Zelenskyy described it as “one of the key outcomes” of his negotiations with Biden in Washington.
Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, said that there will be meetings soon with representatives from the U.S. “to determine the road map of cooperation with the partners about localization of production, specifically in Ukraine.”
During the forum, Zelenskyy announced the creation of the Defense Industries Alliance and added that 13 defense companies have already signed the corresponding declaration.
To support the cooperation and develop an industry complex, Ukraine plans to establish a special fund, which will be paid into through dividends from state defense resources and profits from the sale of confiscated Russian assets, Zelenskyy said.
Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said the first talks about joint production with allies began last fall. “At first, we were talking about repairs within Ukraine, and then about joint production. And now, this topic is prevalent everywhere,” said Kuleba.
According to Kuleba, in discussions with the partners, there is also a tremendous interest in the experience and production capabilities of Ukrainian businesses.
“Just as we have benefited from Western weapons, Western arms manufacturers also gain unique advantages in the market to improve their models and create even more powerful weapons,” Kuleba said.
Ukraine’s recently appointed Defense Minister, Rustem Umerov, said the country must do everything possible to produce all the necessary military services and products in Ukraine for the needs of its army. The other priority is the development of defense technologies that now play an important role on the battlefield.
“Our vision is to develop world-class military products,” Umerov said.
___
Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
veryGood! (38)
Related
- Wisconsin authorities believe kayaker staged his disappearance and fled to Europe
- Hurricane Idalia's path goes through hot waters in the Gulf of Mexico. That's concerning.
- Teachers go on strike in southwest Washington state over class sizes
- You can see Wayne Newton perform in Las Vegas into 2024, but never at a karaoke bar
- Louisiana man kills himself and his 1-year-old daughter after a pursuit
- 'Kind of used to it:' Not everyone chooses to flee possible monster Hurricane Idalia
- Saudi Arabia gets some unlikely visitors when a plane full of Israelis makes an emergency landing
- 'Don't poke' Aaron Rodgers, NFL cutdown day, Broadway recs and other 'Hard Knocks' lessons
- Skiing legend Lindsey Vonn ends retirement, plans to return to competition
- Paris Jackson slams 'abuse' from Michael Jackson superfans over birthday post for King of Pop
Ranking
- Armie Hammer Says His Mom Gifted Him a Vasectomy for His 38th Birthday
- Wyoming Could Gain the Most from Federal Climate Funding, But Obstacles Are Many
- Teachers go on strike in southwest Washington state over class sizes
- A Chicago TV crew was on scene covering armed robberies. Then they got robbed, police say.
- Beyoncé's Grammy nominations in country categories aren't the first to blur genre lines
- Florida power outage map: See where the power is out as Hurricane Idalia makes landfall
- Victims' families still grieving after arrests in NYC druggings
- Kirkus Prize names Jesmyn Ward, Héctor Tobar among finalists for top literary award
Recommendation
-
‘Emilia Pérez’ wouldn’t work without Karla Sofía Gascón. Now, she could make trans history
-
What makes Idalia so potent? It’s feeding on intensely warm water that acts like rocket fuel
-
Garth Brooks' sports-themed Tailgate Radio hits TuneIn in time for college football
-
‘Like Snoop Dogg’s living room': Smell of pot wafts over notorious U.S. Open court
-
COINIXIAI Introduce
-
Best Buy CEO: 2023 will be a low point in tech demand as inflation-wary shoppers pull back
-
New Mexico’s top prosecutor vows to move ahead with Native education litigation
-
Russia earns less from oil and spends more on war. So far, sanctions are working like a slow poison