KYIV (Reuters) – Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday that he had asked the defence ministry to work on proposals for possible weapons exports.
A possible rethink of an export ban imposed during the war against Russia would be a dramatic change in government policies as Ukraine defends itself against a much larger and better-equipped enemy.
Zelenskiy told Ukrainian TV that the exports would be possible only to Ukraine’s allies in the Ramstein group which coordinates military support for Kyiv.
“I have asked the defence minister to consider what could be potential models,” Zelenskiy said. “Those who did not help us with the weapons, I think we do not have a right to export there.”
Ukraine has transformed its weapon production industry since Russia’s invasion in February 2022, quickly ramping up production of drones in particular and all other weapons.
Officials have said that Ukraine tripled its overall domestic weapons production in 2023 and then doubled that volume again in just the first eight months of this year.
But the domestic industry is cash-strapped and local producers have been pleading with the government to allow exports and earn more funds from foreign sales to be able to increase production further.
Ukraine’s defence companies can produce $20 billion of weapons and ammunition per year, but Kyiv can only afford to spend $6 billion, the National Association of Ukrainian Defence Industries said.
(Reporting by Olena Harmash; Editing by Peter Graff, William Maclean)
