During the Defense Industries Forum in the Netherlands, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that the potential of Ukraine’s defense sector exceeds €35 billion. However, he noted that about 40% of this potential remains unrealized due to a lack of funding.
This is reported by Finway
Funding Issues in the Defense Industry
According to the president, Ukraine is capable of producing up to 8 million drones of various types each year, but the current funding is only sufficient for a significantly smaller number of these devices. Zelensky emphasized that this is one of the key issues hindering the development of the country’s defense industry.
“The potential of our defense industry exceeds €35 billion. But 40% of this potential lacks proper funding. This is a problem. For example, we can produce about 8 million drones of different types per year, but we have funding for a significantly smaller quantity.”
The Need for International Support and Leadership in Drone Production
The president also pointed out that Russia is using not only its own oil revenues to conduct aggression but also the resources of the regimes in Iran and North Korea, as well as receiving supplies from companies in other countries. In his opinion, international solidarity is the best response to the actions of the Russian Federation.
Zelensky stressed that Ukraine has all the prerequisites to become a leader in the production of strike drones and interceptor drones, while not halting the production of other types of modern weaponry. The president called on international partners to expand funding for joint weapon development projects, emphasizing that this would strengthen the security system of all Europe.
At the same time, Zelensky highlighted that Putin has no intention of ending the war and is planning new military operations, including on the territory of NATO countries.