94% of Ukrainian manufacturers are ready to export weapons

The third International Defense Industry Forum DFNC3 was held in Kyiv, marking a key event of the year for the Ukrainian defense sector and signaling the resumption of Ukrainian arms exports.

The Ukrainian Council of Defence Industry announced this following the results of the International Defense Industry Forum DFNC3.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky opened the forum and announced the launch of a systematic controlled export program under the working title Zbroya.

“The time has come to launch the export of our Ukrainian weapons — those types of weapons that we have in surplus and can therefore be exported to finance the types of weapons that are particularly needed here in Ukraine today for defense,” the president said.

At the same time, export-import platforms are being established in Europe and the US, which will open up new markets, partnerships, and investment opportunities for Ukrainian manufacturers. According to a survey by the Ukrainian Council of Defence Industry, 94.4% of manufacturers want to start exporting.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal stated that, overall, cooperation with more than 25 companies has already been established within the framework of the “Build with Ukraine” and “Build in Ukraine” initiatives. The plan is to conclude seven new agreements within the framework of the Build with Ukraine program by the end of the year.

According to the Council of Armament Manufacturers, Ukrainian enterprises are currently capable of producing more than the state can finance, and this requires long-term contracts to avoid downtime and the loss of engineering teams.

Exports will enable the maintenance of momentum, reduce the cost of serial production, and provide even more weapons for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. At the same time, the front line is an absolute priority, and any decisions on exports will be made only after the Armed Forces of Ukraine have been fully supplied.

“Countries that today take a passive stance on supporting Ukraine or provide covert or overt support for Russian aggression will certainly not have opportunities for relevant cooperation with Ukraine and Ukrainian companies,” Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha emphasized.

According to him, the success of the defense industry is also a geopolitical tool and should become an argument in favor of accelerated integration into the EU.

“Our manufacturers and unique Ukrainian products are also a geopolitical tool. The defense industry should become part of all our foreign policy strategies and be taken into account in integration processes in the transatlantic space, unions, and alliances,” the foreign minister noted.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky first announced plans to resume arms exports in his evening address on September 19.