Ukraine produces a wide range of weapons, and the next step could be the production of anti-ballistic missiles, which would change the situation – this was stated by European Commissioner for Defence Andrius Kubilius in a comment to Radio Free Europe, according to our correspondent in Brussels.
“It is quite possible that Ukraine will even begin to produce anti-ballistic missiles independently. This could indeed be a turning point, and we know that the Ukrainians are very capable in this field,” the official noted.
The European Commissioner for Defence also commented on Ukraine’s plans to produce its own anti-ballistic missiles and on cooperation with European partners in this area.
“What they (the Ukrainians – ed.) are currently lacking are modern radar and target detection systems. As far as I understand, they will be cooperating with European partners in this area. During my ‘missile’ tour of Europe, I met with several companies that are ready to work together – both in Europe and in Ukraine. So this could become a reality quite soon,” Kubilius noted.
The official emphasised that Ukraine potentially obtaining a licence to manufacture Patriot missiles is not the only way for it to secure its own advantage on the battlefield.
“Even if Ukraine obtains a licence, this is not the only way for it to achieve victory. Ukraine is already beginning to make progress, and we must support this process. This could genuinely influence Russia’s transformation. For us, the transformation of Russia must be the main strategic objective, as it is precisely this that will determine whether Europe will have sustainable and long-term peace,” explained the European Commissioner for Defence.
On 18 June, at the opening of the meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (‘Ramstein’), Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasised the need to strengthen Ukraine’s defences against Russian ballistic missiles before winter sets in, and also highlighted the importance of immediate arms purchases from the US under the PURL (Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List) initiative – an international defence programme under which allied countries procure weapons and ammunition from the US to meet Ukraine’s urgent needs. Among other things, through the PURL system, Ukraine receives around 75 per cent of the interceptor missiles for the Patriot systems (primarily PAC-2 and PAC-3) and almost 90 per cent of the missiles for other air defence systems.
For his part, Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov pointed out that Russian ballistic missiles remain one of the greatest threats to Ukraine, and that the development of modern anti-ballistic solutions is “one of our priorities for the protection of cities, critical infrastructure and civilians”. Fedorov announced an agreement with Germany on the development of an anti-ballistic programme.
Earlier, the leaders of the G7 countries stated that they plan to increase the supply of air defence capabilities to Ukraine, and also expressed their willingness to consider extending licences to Ukraine to allow for an increase in military production.