The capabilities of Ukraine’s defense industry have expanded by about six times in recent years.

This was stated by U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken during a press conference in Kyiv, Ukrinform reports.

According to him, this was made possible mainly due to external investments.

“Ukraine’s defense industrial base has grown sixfold over the past couple of years. This is the result of enormous investments made by many of us,” emphasized Blinken.

He emphasized that this was working for Ukraine’s long-term interests, which was very important because “one of the indicators of Ukraine’s success is the ability to stand on its own two feet, militarily, as well as economically and democratically.”

The U.S. Secretary of State also noted that investments in the defense industry “are the best way to ensure that Russian aggression does not happen again, and that Ukraine has the capabilities to deter aggression and, if necessary, to defend itself against it.”

In this regard, Blinken expressed his belief that companies from all over the world see Ukraine as “a very attractive place to invest, even despite the ongoing aggression.”

The prospects for Ukraine’s cooperation with the United States in the defense industry within the framework of signed bilateral security agreements were also discussed during Anthony Blinken’s meeting with President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi.

The Head of State noted that the emphasis should’ve been on joint production in Ukraine.

In addition, Volodymyr Zelenskyi emphasized that it was important for Ukraine to obtain permission to use long-range weapons provided by the United States and other partners as soon as possible.

According to the President of Ukraine, domestic producers have the ability to increase the production of unmanned aerial vehicles, but this requires additional funding from partners.

Ukrainian defense companies also called on partner countries to purchase already manufactured Ukrainian products for which there are no contracts.