04-06-2025
Zelenskyy's Office urges EU to increase investment in Ukraine's defence industry
Ukrainian defence industry companies have considerable production potential but require stable financial support, says Ihor Zhovkva, Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine.
Source: website of the President of Ukraine
Details: During a meeting with a European Union delegation, Zhovkva emphasised the importance of increasing EU investment in Ukraine's defence industry.
Benedikta von Seherr-Thoss, Managing Director for Peace, Security, and Defense at the European External Action Service (EEAS), who led the delegation, asserted that the EU is committed to further integrating Ukraine into the European security and defence system. She said the EU is also interested in boosting defence production in its member states.
"The main focus of the meeting was on Ukraine's current military needs – in particular, air defense systems and missiles for them, artillery systems, ammunition, and continued defense cooperation with the European Union," the President's website stated.
The meeting also addressed cooperation between Ukraine and the EU under the ReArm Europe initiative and the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) instrument. Zhovkva expressed his gratitude to the EU for its efforts to deliver two million artillery shells to Ukraine by the end of this year.
Background:
Ukraine is currently covering 40% of its armed forces' needs with domestic defence production and has significantly ramped up its weapons manufacturing.
Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha earlier stated that Ukraine has achieved substantial progress in drone technology and is now a global leader in the field. "In some areas, we have increased our production capacity manifold. In some cases, we've scaled up production of military equipment and weapons by as much as 35 times to meet the needs of the Ukrainian army and national defence," Sybiha said.
Earlier reports also indicated that global military spending in 2024 has reached a record high since the end of the Cold War, amounting to US$2.718 trillion, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Defence expenditure rose by 9.4% over the year – the highest annual increase since 1988.
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