Ukraine’s first International Defence Industries Forum: Ukraine will become a donor of global security

In his evening address, the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, spoke about the results of the first Defense Industries Forum in the history of Ukraine. According to him, 38 companies joined the Alliance of Defense Industries created at the Forum.

This is reported by Rubryka, referring to the Office of the President.

"The first Defense Industries Forum was held. Very successful. It testified to the global interest in the possibility of working in Ukraine and with Ukraine in producing weapons and everything necessary for the real defense of any free nation.

Our new format with defense companies is the Defense Industries Alliance, which, as of this evening, already has 38 participating companies. They represent 19 countries of the world. These are the United States, Great Britain, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, Canada, Bulgaria, Australia, Belgium, our Baltic friends Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, as well as the Czech Republic, North Macedonia, Slovakia, Spain, Croatia and Finland. It's very powerful for a start and a work in progress. More companies will join," Zelensky noted.

According to him, Ukraine's manufacturers signed 20 documents with partner companies at the Forum — agreements and memoranda. Each such document then becomes a new production or strengthening of an existing collaboration.

"These are agreements on joint production, this is the exchange of technologies, this is the supply of components — production of gunpowder, production of ammunition. This is the training of personnel for our defense industry. We are separately and very carefully developing the Ukrainian production of drones, land and sea autonomous systems," the president said.

In total, more than 250 companies took part in the Defense Industries Forum. Among them are dozens of Ukrainian companies.

"We are also working on producing the air defense systems we need in Ukraine — really strong ones.

When, over time, we see and feel in real action the maximum armed power of Ukraine — our manufacturers, our defense industry, our new cooperation with the world — we will be able to say that the beginning of this was laid right now, precisely in such agreements as at the Forum and as under during my visits, in particular to America, Sweden and other countries. All the strongest already cooperate or will cooperate with Ukraine.

Our country will become one of the key global producers of weapons and defense systems. This is no longer just an ambition or a perspective. It is a potential that has begun to be realized. I thank everyone whose work has led to such results for Ukraine!" Zelensky stated.