Ukraine Asks Allies to Allocate 0.25% of GDP to Boost Its Weapon Production
KYIV, June 21 (Reuters) – 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.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yomiuri Shimbun
31 minutes ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
U.S. Wants Japan to Raise Defense Spending to 5% of GDP; Pentagon Spokesperson Calls it ‘Common Sense' to Match Europe
WASHINGTON — The United States believes its allies in Asia, including Japan, should increase their defense spending to 5% of gross domestic product, according to a Pentagon spokesperson. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is considering proposing its member states raise their defense spending targets from 2% to 5% of GDP. NATO is envisaging a plan to set conventional defense spending, such as weapons purchases, at 3.5% and allocate 1.5% for defense-related expenses, such as the renovation of military roads. The Japanese government is proceeding with a plan to increase its security-related expenditures, including defense spending, from the current level of about 1.8% of the fiscal 2022 GDP to 2% in fiscal 2027. 'It is only common sense for Asia-Pacific allies to move rapidly to step up to match Europe's pace and level of defense spending,' Sean Parnell, chief spokesperson of the U.S. Defense Department, said in a statement, responding to a question by The Yomiuri Shimbun. To counter China and North Korea, Parnell stressed Japan should be in line with '5% of GDP spending on defense' — the target being mulled by NATO member states.
NHK
an hour ago
- NHK
Pentagon: US used 'bunker buster' bombs in Iran attack
Pentagon officials have said the United States used bunker buster bombs to attack Iran's Fordow nuclear facility on Sunday. At a news conference in Washington, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said: "It was an incredible and overwhelming success. The order we received from our commander in chief was focused, it was powerful and it was clear. We devastated the Iranian nuclear program." They used the GBU-57 Massive Ordinance Penetrator. It is designed to attack deeply-buried sites and hardened bunkers and tunnels. US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Dan Caine said that the lead B2 aircraft dropped two of the weapons on the first of several points at Fordow at approximately 6:40 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Saturday, or 2:10 a.m. on Sunday local Iran time. He said the remaining bombers then hit their targets as well, with a total of 14 of the bunker buster weapons used. Caine said that Tomahawk missiles were the last to strike at the Isfahan facility. Hegseth said the operation did not target Iranian troops or civilians. He added the mission "has not been about regime change" in Iran.
Kyodo News
2 hours ago
- Kyodo News
U.S. enters war with Iran, Trump says key nuclear sites wiped out
KYODO NEWS - 10 hours ago - 13:00 | All, World U.S. airstrikes have "completely and totally obliterated" Iran's three key nuclear facilities, President Donald Trump said Saturday as Washington entered Israel's war against the Islamic Republic, threatening more attacks if Tehran does not change course. Trump said the U.S. objective in conducting "massive precision" strikes on the facilities was "the destruction of Iran's nuclear enrichment capacity and a stop to the nuclear threat posed by the world's No. 1 state sponsor of terror." "Tonight, I can report to the world that the strikes were a spectacular military success," Trump said in an address to the nation from the White House. "Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated." Trump said earlier on social media that all planes had moved out of Iranian airspace, but his decision to directly involve the U.S. military in the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran could lead to a wider war. He said "a full payload" of bombs was dropped on Fordo, a mountainous area in central Iran where the country's main underground uranium enrichment facility is located, and two other nuclear sites in Natanz and Isfahan. The attacks came after a week of mixed signals from Trump, with Israel reportedly asking the United States to join the airstrikes it began earlier this month targeting scores of locations in Iran, including those related to Tehran's nuclear program. His announcement that the United States had struck the nuclear facilities came after the White House said Thursday that he would make his decision on whether to bomb Iran within two weeks. In his address, Trump thanked and congratulated Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying the United States and Israel "worked as a team like perhaps no team has ever worked before." Trump warned that future attacks against Iran could be "far greater" if it refuses peace. "There are many targets left," he said. "Tonight's was the most difficult of them all, by far, and perhaps the most lethal. But if peace does not come quickly, we will go after those other targets with precision, speed and skill." The United States joining Israel's war against Iran is expected to escalate tensions, possibly including strikes on American troops and military bases in the Middle East. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a recent video message that U.S. military participation in the conflict would result in irreparable consequences. U.S. media reported that B-2 stealth bombers and bunker-buster munitions were used in the operation, which came after Israel's attacks on Iran. Israel's attacks that began June 13 led to retaliation by Iran, including airstrikes on Tel Aviv, leaving many civilians dead and injured on both sides. Related coverage: 2 SDF planes leave Japan for Djibouti for possible Mideast evacuation Xi seeks Middle East cease-fire in phone call with Putin
