Ukraine plans ‘controlled exports’ of some of its weapons

KYIV: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Friday that Kyiv plans to begin exporting certain types of weapons, such as naval drones, to finance its domestic military production.

Ukraine has been heavily dependent on Western funding and arms deliveries since Russia invaded in 2022 but, despite the war raging on, has also developed its own domestic manufacturing, notably of drones.

“We already have certain types of weapons in much larger quantities than we actually need today in Ukraine,” Zelensky said in his daily address.

He cited naval drones, anti-tank and “some other types” of weapons as examples.

“Thanks to controlled exports, we will be able to accumulate money for more production of the things our army needs,” Zelensky added.

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He mentioned several potential destinations for the exports, including the United States, Europe, and “other partners around the world who are also interested in Ukrainian weapons and from whom Ukraine has received various forms of support”.

Zelensky had already offered to sell drones to the United States on several occasions in recent months, but these proposals have so far failed to materialise.

US leader Donald Trump has repeatedly criticised his country’s military aid to Ukraine.

He insisted that American weapons intended for Kyiv must be purchased and not offered for free, and several European countries have pledged to foot the bill.

According to figures from the German Kiel Institute, Ukraine has received more than 167 billion euros ($196 billion) in aid from Europe and more than 114 billion euros from the United States since 2022.