Ukraine asks allies to allocate 0.25% of GDP to boost its weapon production
FILE PHOTO: Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy carries flowers to pay tribute to victims, who were killed during Russian drone and missile strikes on Tuesday, at the site of a damaged apartment building, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine June 19, 2025. Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo
Ukraine asks allies to allocate 0.25% of GDP to boost its weapon production
KYIV - President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has called on Ukraine's Western partners to allocate 0.25% of their GDP to helping Kyiv ramp up weapons production and said the country plans to sign agreements this summer to start exporting weapon production technologies.
In remarks released for publication by his office on Saturday, Zelenskiy said Ukraine was in talks with Denmark, Norway, Germany, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Lithuania to launch joint weapon production.
"Ukraine is part of Europe's security and we want 0.25% of the GDP of a particular partner country to be allocated for our defence industry and domestic production," Zelenskiy said.
As the war with a bigger and better-equipped Russia has intensified in recent weeks, Ukraine's need for new weapons and ammunition is constantly growing.
This year Kyiv had secured $43 billion to finance its domestic weapon production, Zelenskiy said.
Member nations of the NATO military alliance are expected to meet next week in The Hague, to discuss higher defence spending.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has proposed that countries should each agree to spend 5% of their GDP on defence and security measures.
Zelenskiy said he was likely to visit the NATO summit, adding that several meetings with Western leaders had been set up on the sidelines. He also said that he hoped to meet U.S. President Donald Trump.
Last week, Zelenskiy attended the Group of Seven summit in Canada as he sought to discuss stronger sanctions against Russia and more military support for Ukraine with Trump there.
But he failed to meet with the U.S. President as Trump left a day early for Washington to address the Israel-Iran conflict.
Ukraine currently covers about 40% of its defence needs with domestic production, and the government is constantly looking for ways to increase production further.
Kyiv plans to launch joint weapon production outside of the country and will start exporting some of its military production technologies, Zelenskiy said.
"We have launched a program 'Build with Ukraine' and in summer we will sign relevant agreements to start exporting our technologies abroad in the format of opening production lines in European countries," Zelenskiy said.
The discussions focused on producing different types of drones, missiles, and potentially artillery, he said. REUTERS
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
International Business Times
42 minutes ago
- International Business Times
Minnesota Manhunt Ends: Vance Boelter Impersonated Police, Shot Lawmakers, and Left State Reeling
Vance Boelter's disguise had flaws. The silicone mask he wore fit poorly, and the license plate on his SUV simply read "POLICE" in black letters. Yet on a dimly lit suburban street in the early morning, it was convincing enough. At 2:36 a.m. on Saturday—30 minutes after Boelter allegedly shot Minnesota State Senator John Hoffman and his wife—he idled near Senator Ann Rest's house in New Hope. Inside the SUV were weapons, including AK-47s, anti-Trump rally fliers, and a target list. Prosecutors say Rest was one of Boelter's intended victims that morning. As Boelter waited outside Rest's home, a real police cruiser arrived. A female officer checking on Rest saw the marked SUV and believed it was law enforcement. When she tried to speak to the driver, Boelter offered no reply. He only stared ahead, impersonating a silent officer. The New Hope officer drove on, deciding to check on Rest directly. Senator Rest later said that the officer's instincts likely saved her life. Police Chief Timothy Hoyt agreed. "With limited information, she went up there on her own to check on the welfare of our senator," Hoyt told Reuters. "She did the right thing." Boelter's impersonation—complete with body armor, badge, and tactical vest—briefly fooled law enforcement, complicating efforts to catch him. After the encounter, Boelter, 57, fled. Police chased him for 43 hours in what became Minnesota's largest manhunt, involving state and federal agencies. The Columbia University graduate is known for participating in pro-Palestinian protests. Prosecutors may seek the death penalty for a rampage Governor Tim Walz called "politically motivated." Boelter is charged with murdering two people and attempting to kill two others. The motive is still under investigation, and Boelter has not yet entered a plea. His public defender declined comment. This account is based on court documents, law enforcement statements, and interviews with Boelter's acquaintances, police, lawmakers, and residents. Experts see echoes of past crimes. Former FBI profiler James Fitzgerald said Boelter might have studied the 2020 Canada mass shooting, where a man impersonating police killed 22. "These guys always do research," Fitzgerald said. "They want to see how others got caught—or didn't. Impersonating police buys time." The bloodshed began at Hoffman's Champlin home, a quiet suburb of Minneapolis. Boelter arrived around 2:00 a.m. with lights flashing and knocked. "This is the police. Open the door," he reportedly yelled, per FBI documents. Senator Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, realized he wasn't an officer. Boelter shot the senator nine times and wounded Yvette as she shielded their daughter. Boelter fled, and the daughter dialed 911. Hoffman was on a list of over 45 targeted Minnesota officials—all Democrats—said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. Boelter, a Trump voter and Christian, didn't seem politically enraged, said part-time roommate David Carlson. Thompson said Boelter "stalked his victims like prey." His writings revealed no clear motive. "His crimes are the stuff of nightmares," Thompson added. After Hoffman, Boelter drove to State Representative Kristin Bahner's home in Maple Grove, 9 miles away. Surveillance footage shows him ringing the bell at 2:24 a.m., shouting, "This is the police. We have a warrant." Bahner and her family weren't home. Boelter then went to New Hope, where he encountered the alert officer outside Senator Rest's house. From there, Boelter vanished again until reaching State House Speaker Melissa Hortman's home in Brooklyn Park. Brooklyn Park police, suspecting she was a target, were already at her house by 3:30 a.m. They saw a black SUV with flashing lights. Boelter stood near the door. When police exited their vehicle, Boelter opened fire. He then entered the home and killed Melissa and Mark Hortman. After the attack, he abandoned his SUV. Inside, police found a handgun, three AK-47s, anti-Trump rally fliers, and a notebook with targets' names. Boelter went on the run. Police believe he stopped at his Minneapolis residence and sent unsettling texts. In one to family, he wrote, "Dad went to war last night." In another to a friend, he hinted at dying soon. Later that morning, Boelter bought an e-bike and a Buick for $900 from a man at a bus stop. They visited a bank where Boelter withdrew $2,200. Surveillance footage shows him in a cowboy hat. It wasn't until Sunday at 10:00 a.m. that authorities got close. Near Boelter's family home in Green Isle, officers found the abandoned Buick, a cowboy hat, and a handwritten letter to the FBI confessing the crimes. A perimeter was quickly set. SWAT, dogs, and drones were deployed. But a local resident's trail camera finally helped—snapping an image of Boelter at 7:00 p.m. Two hours later, Boelter crawled toward police and surrendered without resistance. He was armed but didn't fire a shot.
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
Belarus' Lukashenko meets US envoy Kellogg in Minsk
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko (second from right) meeting US envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg (second from left) in Minsk, on June 21. PHOTO: EPA-EFE MINSK - Mr Alexander Lukashenko met US special presidential envoy General Keith Kellogg in Minsk on June 21, according to a video published on the Belarusian president's website. 'You've stirred up quite a lot of noise around the world with your visit. But I'm surprised by that – can't we have a normal dialogue and talk about our affairs, about the relations between Belarus and the United States of America?' Mr Lukashenko said in opening remarks. General Kellogg is the highest-ranking US official to visit Belarus in several years. In February 2020, US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo travelled to Belarus in what was the first visit by a top-ranked US diplomat since 1993. 'With all the gold here, it looks a lot like Mar-a-Lago,' Gen Kellogg said, comparing Mr Lukashenko's Independence Palace with US President Donald Trump's private club in Florida. The meeting agenda included international issues and the overall situation in the world, as well as Belarusian-American relations, the state-owned agency Belta reported. Mr Lukashenko, 70, has been under various sanctions for nearly a decade due to his role in undermining democratic processes in the former Soviet republic. He was re-designated by the US under expanded penalties in 2022, in response to Belarus' support for Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Mr Lukashenko remains Russian President Vladimir Putin's closest ally. The Belarusian strongman has remained in power for more than three decades, with nearly 1,200 people in the country currently recognised as political prisoners, according to the exiled human rights centre Viasna. Gen Kellogg's visit raised expectations that Belarus may soon release a number of captives. The White House has not commented on the meeting. BLOOMBERG Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
3 hours ago
- Straits Times
Ukraine says it received Russian bodies in exchanges of war dead
Ukrainian officials working on the repatriation of bodies of fallen Ukrainian soldiers at an undisclosed location in Ukraine, on June 15. PHOTO: EPA-EFE Ukraine says it received Russian bodies in exchanges of war dead KYIV - Kyiv received the bodies of 20 Russian soldiers instead of Ukrainian ones during exchanges of war dead with Moscow, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in remarks made public on June 21. He accused Russia of 'not checking' who they were sending, and suggested Moscow might be doing it on purpose to conflate the number of Ukrainian bodies they had. The repatriation of fallen soldiers and the exchange of prisoners of war has been one of the few areas of cooperation between the warring sides since Moscow invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Moscow and Kyiv agreed earlier this month during talks in Istanbul to exchange the bodies of 6,000 soldiers each. 'It has already been confirmed during repatriations that the bodies of 20 people handed over to us as our deceased soldiers are Russian,' Mr Zelensky said in remarks released on June 21. 'Sometimes these bodies even have Russian passports,' he added. An 'Israeli mercenary' fighting for Moscow was also among those sent, he said. Tens of thousands of soldiers have been killed on both sides since the war began. Neither country regularly releases information on military casualties. Mr Zelensky said there were currently '695,000 Russian troops' on Ukrainian territory. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
