By KYIV. Nov 29 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Foreign Minister of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba has said that colleagues from other countries supported the initiative on the need to develop the defense-industrial complex of the EU and NATO countries as an integral mechanism; the agreement has not yet been recorded on paper.
“The agreement was not put on paper, but was very clearly voiced in almost all speeches – this is an agreement with the initiative put forward by Ukraine some time ago on the need to develop the defense-industrial complex of the EU and NATO countries as an integral mechanism. This is very important,” he said at NATO headquarters after the first meeting of the Ukraine-NATO Council at the level of foreign ministers.
According to Kuleba, no country alone, if it works only with its defense industries, is able to satisfy the needs of Ukraine or its country in weapons and ammunition.
“To solve this problem, it is necessary for NATO and the EU to begin to look at their defense industries as a holistic complex. We have removed unnecessary regulatory restrictions, had a common policy of supporting private business since this is private business in their case. And today for the first time I heard that what we have been talking about and calling for so long has resonated, and they are already saying not only that they will support their defense companies, but also that they really need to create a system,” the Foreign Minister noted.
He also emphasized that only a holistic defense industry system can meet the needs of the war in Ukraine. “For me, for all of us, this is, frankly, very important piece of news,” Kuleba added.
He quoted British Foreign Minister David Cameron that “after today’s meeting we need to turn political will into concrete actions.” As Kuleba said, “this was heard today from almost every minister.”
