If Europe wants to keep the peace, it must switch to wartime industry to help deter Russian aggression, according to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.
During an address at the EU-Ukraine Defense Industry Forum, Kuleba said that the aggression of the Russian Federation can only be stopped by superior defense power. The latter can be achieved through the joint development of the defense industry.
"If we are to maintain peace in Europe, we must transition to a wartime European economy and industry. This is the only way we can deter Russia's aggression by demonstrating that Europe has the means to defend itself. A common defense industrial space will help overcome the existing problems," Kuleba says.
In particular, Kuleba named the components of the success of the European defense industry. Among them:
- creation of a common defense and industrial space within the European Union (EU), partner, and candidate countries. This will help avoid problems arising from the use of different types of weapons and ammunition;
- long-term planning, contracts, and procurement;
- strengthening cooperation between the defense industries of Ukraine and the EU.
Weapons production
Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukraine has begun to strengthen its defense industry. According to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian defense industry currently employs 500 companies and nearly 300,000 people.
According to Oleksandr Kamyshin, head of the Ministry of Strategic Industries, our defense industry grew 6 times last year.
Ukraine is not the only country that is not standing still. As an example, the United States of America has doubled its funding for the purchase and production of 155mm artillery shells. Finland, in turn, is planning to build an explosives plant.
