Ukraine may lift ban on exports of domestic weapons - Umierov
Ukraine is considering attracting international investment in the defense industry and does not rule out resuming exports of domestic weapons. Some countries have already expressed a desire to buy Ukrainian missiles and other weapons.
This was stated by the Minister of Defense of Ukraine Rustem Umierov during a briefing in Brussels, Ukrinform reports, Censor.NET reports.
"Last year, when I became Minister of Defense, we created a plan for our capabilities in the public and private sectors of the defense industry. The first step was taken by the state by investing in defense. This year, we offered our partners several options for cooperation. These include joint ventures, long-term contracts for 10 years, and financial instruments such as loans or export financing... And we are now discussing clear plans for each country, where colleagues from the General Staff will work together with other colleagues to crystallize what projects we will invest in with each country," the head of the defense ministry said.
Umierov noted that negotiations are currently underway with international partners on various projects, but the final decision will depend on the government.
He also noted that some countries have already expressed a desire to buy Ukrainian missiles, UAVs, and other weapons.
"We always hear at meetings that some countries have said that they want to buy Ukrainian-made missiles, drones, and other products for themselves. We do not rule out these possibilities, but I want it to be a collective decision, so in this regard, we will prepare and submit a plan to the leadership for decision-making," the Defense Ministry chief said.
Earlier, Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur expressed interest in purchasing defense products from Ukraine. Such cooperation, he said, could help Ukraine increase production.
It is worth noting that after the start of a full-scale war with Russia in 2022, Ukraine imposed a ban on the export of military products to provide the Armed Forces with the necessary resources.
