By KYIV. Nov 29 (Interfax-Ukraine) – NATO countries urgently need to increase their weapons production, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told Politico, stressing that it is impossible to win on the battlefield in the long term without investing in the production of more weapons.
"While we are fighting the battles of today, we have to think how we will be fighting the battles of tomorrow," Kuleba told Politico on Monday en route to a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Bucharest.
He said NATO countries should "begin the production of necessary weapons today."
"The last time I attended NATO ministerial, I came with three words: weapons, weapons, and weapons. This time, while this request remains absolutely acute, I will specify it by saying that we need air defense, tanks and production lines," Kuleba said.
According to him, there are countries in the world that have what Ukraine needs, but are not going to sell it in sufficient quantities for political reasons.
"Instead of counting on them and spending months on trying to convince them, production has to be launched so that … we do not fall dependent on the whims of the third countries who have stuff in stocks but who are not willing to share it," the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine said.
Asked who would like Ukraine to consider negotiating with Russia, the minister said reports of pressure were exaggerated.
"I have to say that this notion of soft pressure on Ukraine is largely exaggerated. I wouldn’t say it doesn’t exist, but it has not taken a form of – even of a soft pressure," Kuleba said.
