Keith Kellogg on production of missiles for Patriot system: "Ukraine can do it faster and, probably, better"
Former U.S. Special Envoy to Ukraine Keith Kellogg has a packed schedule during his current visit to Odesa and Kyiv. In addition to events marking Independence Day, he participated in the Conservative Forces Forum, the Veterans Forum, and events at the Port of Odesa. This makes the time he devoted to speaking with the media all the more valuable.
We began our brief conversation with a pressing question:
- We are following the discussions regarding Ukraine obtaining a licence to manufacture missiles and components for the Patriot systems. We need this, first and foremost, to repel Russian attacks on civilian targets, including infrastructure, and, consequently, to get through the winter. In your opinion, is it possible for Ukraine to obtain such a licence after all?
- I was in Ukraine when I heard about this issue. I’ll find out when I return to the United States. Is there a chance of obtaining the licences? Yes. And I hope it can be done. But until I return and speak to people outside Ukraine, I cannot say for certain.
Everyone believes there are opportunities to do this, and we are doing everything we can to secure what we in America call ‘workarounds’. In particular, to obtain the licences. I am not the only one who believes that Ukraine can do things much faster than we are able to in the United States. Therefore, we will seek the necessary avenues to achieve this. We do not have any information at the moment, but when we return to the United States, we will have more data and a better understanding.
- Reports have appeared in the media suggesting that the stance of American arms manufacturers is an obstacle to the granting of such a licence. On the other hand, there is a powerful lobby of American investors who, on the contrary, should have a vested interest in defending Ukraine. How strong is this investment lobby in terms of influencing a positive decision?
- Everything will depend on the government, not on investors. The government and the companies that manufacture these systems must reach an agreement. You are right, I believe – although I do not know for certain, as I am not in the US at the moment – that the companies manufacturing the Patriot system are very concerned about the loss of what they call confidential information. So it will be a matter of cooperation with Ukraine and trust in our partner. That’s how we do it with the Patriot system. We do it with Japan. So we’ve already done it elsewhere, and I hope we’ll be able to do it with Ukraine, because I believe Ukraine can do it faster and, probably, better.
- These days we are talking a great deal about spirituality and Christianity. At the Conservative Forces Forum, you reminded us how many Ukrainian churches Russia has destroyed, and how many religious figures it has killed or is holding captive. The comparison of Ukraine to David and Russia to Goliath has become almost a cliché. Bearing in mind the role Christianity played in the founding of America, and the role it plays in the US today, it sometimes strikes us in Ukraine as strange that we have to constantly remind people who is David and who is Goliath in this war.
- This needs to be explained because that is human nature. That is how people think. And it needs to be repeated again and again and again. You believe in this. I believe in this. This message must be repeated constantly. In America, in the television industry, this is called ‘message management’. And it is precisely these messages that ultimately play a decisive role.
- Ukrainian politicians and public figures constantly remind the West, and the US in particular, that we are receiving too few arms deliveries. Even during your current visit to Ukraine, which has lasted several days, I have heard people say this quite openly on more than one occasion: ‘Too little’, ‘Not enough’. From certain politicians and circles outside Ukraine, one sometimes hears talk of the arrogance and ingratitude of Ukrainians, who are constantly demanding more. So, a direct question for you: how do you take this? Doesn’t it annoy you?
- Yes, it continues. But the first thing anyone who hears this from you should ask themselves is: ‘Why?’ You are fighting for survival. And there are means of survival. That is why you speak of it.
Admittedly, the question sometimes arises: do they realise that the United States, for example, is using vast numbers of missiles for its Patriot systems in the Middle East? We are not going to order our commanders in Europe or, perhaps, in Asia to reduce their stocks, as we may need these missiles ourselves for defence in the event of danger.
So, to return to the question: if I know what the other side means when it says and demands something, then I’m not concerned. And I do understand why you are asking for protection.
- You have very often spoken of the need to prevent the emergence of an ‘axis of evil’ comprising Russia, Iran and China. How successfully are we preventing this at the moment?
- It would be an oversight not to include North Korea in this list; it should also have been mentioned. So, we have Russia, North Korea, China and Iran, and the United States, which, in all its might, is trying to contain them.
And, in my view, what they have done regarding Iran is beginning to undermine this axis, and that is a good thing. We allowed them to unite. Previously they were divided, but then they grew closer. We need to continue working to keep them apart.
For example, we must put pressure on North Korea to prevent it from sending weapons or troops to take part in the war against Ukraine. But this requires a constant struggle.
Olha Skorokhod, Censor.NET
