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An agreement to accelerate joint weapons production and data exchange was signed by representatives of the US and Ukrainian governments at a conference in Washington. Kyiv is stepping up efforts to produce its own weapons and hopes for joint projects with international arms manufacturers to revitalize the military industry, FREEDOM reports.
350 industry representatives and officials discussed at the conference how the military-industrial complexes of Ukraine and the United States can work together to better support the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the battlefield. The parties signed a memorandum that will give impetus to joint production and exchange of technical data, as well as meeting the urgent operational needs of Ukrainian soldiers.
“Ukraine’s emergence as an independent arms producer obviously removes the long-term need for continued arms supplies from the United States and other Western countries. So they increase production, and over time we can reduce the amount of supply needed,” White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said in an interview with Reuters.
The White House noted that areas of cooperation include air defense systems, repair, maintenance and production of critical munitions. In turn, Pentagon head Lloyd Austin, speaking at the meeting, emphasized that continued support for Ukraine will have a positive impact on military equipment manufacturers in the United States.
“I hope that Congress will soon approve the President’s urgent supplemental national security request. It would include another $50 billion that would flow through the U.S. industrial base. And much of this will come back to us through investment in American jobs. All of this capital will also come back to us through investments in American security. At the same time, we must expand Ukraine’s capabilities to support the many different systems and platforms provided by allies and partners around the world,” said US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
The memorandum was signed by the Pentagon’s chief weapons purchaser Bill LaPlante, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and Ukrainian Minister of Strategic Industries Alexander Kamyshin.
The head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Andriy Ermak, speaking at the conference, noted that weapons are the primary need of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and a tool that will help instill confidence in the future of Ukraine and the democratic world as a whole.
“The situation on the eastern front is a challenge. The aggressor is trying to concentrate his forces. However, our soldiers are confident that they can thwart their plans. And do you know why? I’ll tell you what one of the soldiers told me. Nothing builds confidence like ammunition in real combat conditions. So let’s provide them together for the sake of Ukraine and for the sake of the free world,” called on the head of the OP Andriy Ermak.
The conference was hosted by the US Department of Commerce and is part of the US government’s efforts to increase weapons production in support of Ukraine. The United States administration noted that there are a number of companies that are actively involved in dialogue with Ukraine, including Boeing, General Atomics, as well as technology companies such as Amentum Services and Leidos Holdings Inc.
Earlier, on December 6, the first conference dedicated to the development of the military-industrial complex of Ukraine began in the United States of America.
