According to SIPRI, Ukraine ranks first in the world in arms imports. This is hardly surprising: the war has been ongoing for more than four years, the demand for weapons and ammunition remains immense, and Ukraine’s partners continue to provide substantial military assistance.
At the same time, Ukraine has achieved extraordinary growth in its defense-industrial capacity. As a result, the country is now reaching a point where certain categories of domestically produced weapons could potentially be exported. This, however, is far from a straightforward issue. The defense sector is highly specialized and requires careful regulation both at the governmental level and through legislation.
Ukrinform discussed these and other related issues with Halyna Yanchenko, Member of Parliament of Ukraine (Verkhovna Rada), Chair of the Temporary Special Commission of the Verkhovna Rada on the Protection of Investors’ Rights, head of the working group on investment in the defense-industrial sector, and author of the draft law on public-private partnership.
Ukrinform: Let us begin this discussion about the export potential of Ukraine’s defense industry from the very start. Beginning in 2014 — or even slightly earlier — new players started entering the sector: private manufacturers, modern business entrepreneurs, and technology-driven businesses that clearly understood what needed to be done. Over time, the number of such companies grew significantly, and they began organizing themselves into unions and associations in order to present a consolidated position and coordinated proposals to the government and parliament. I would argue that this was precisely where the idea of returning to arms exports first emerged, gradually taking on clearer form and stronger arguments. How do you see this process?
