Ukraine will soon be able to produce Western weapons on its own, with the help of Germany. The Kiev government has formed a defense joint venture with German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall AG, which also produces Leopard tanks, to maintain and repair weapons sent to the former Soviet country against a full-scale invasion by Vladimir Putin’s Russia. The announcement was made by Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal at the German-Ukrainian Business Forum in Berlin, where it was announced that the joint venture will also contribute to the localization of some important equipment produced by Rheinmetall AG in the country.
Shmyhal told the forum that this agreement “will take cooperation between our countries to a whole new level and allow us to jointly build the arsenal of the free world.” Ukraine relies heavily on financial and military support from the West, which has poured tens of billions of dollars in weapons since February 24, 2022, when Russia launched its invasion. Initially reluctant to become personally involved, Germany eventually became an important ally of Russia. The country ruled by Volodymyr Zelensky.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said, “Ukraine can trust Germany” and reminded that Berlin’s civilian and military aid to the country reached 24 billion euros. He argued that the German government, along with the EU and G7 partners, “leave no room for doubt” about “our determination and staying power” to provide aid to Ukraine. The Chancellor called on German companies to immediately invest in Ukraine and contribute to reconstruction. “Anyone who invests in Ukraine today means invests in a future EU member country,” he said.
Kiev Minister of Strategic Industries Oleksander Kamyshyn announced that Ukraine has promised to start domestic production of Western weapons in order to meet the growing demand in the country. Ukrainian officials hope cooperation with Western arms manufacturers could help revitalize the domestic arms industry, which had been plagued by inefficiency and lack of transparency for years before Russia’s February 2022 invasion. Kiev also wants to generate more support by trying to reduce its dependence on Western aid. to accelerate the supply of ammunition to the front for the sake of economy and to support a counter-offensive against a much larger army.
Rheinmetall said in a statement that it owns 51% of the shares of the company that will operate in Ukrainian territory. “The first project will be the repair of German equipment, tanks, heavy armored vehicles, Panzerhaubiter and other German equipment,” Shmyhal told reporters in Berlin. “As for “all other production projects”, this is not public information at the moment, but we have some plans for production in Ukraine, but when the time comes, the companies themselves will announce this,” he added.
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Source: Today IT
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
