EU and Ukraine Plan Joint Interceptor Missile Production
The EU and Ukraine plan to begin joint interceptor missile production by 2028 while expanding drone cooperation and creating new defense ventures together.
The European Union and Ukraine plan to move toward the joint production of interceptor missiles by 2028, according to a statement issued by the European Commission.
The document says Brussels and Kiev intend to expand their defense industry cooperation to the point of jointly manufacturing interceptor missiles within the next two years.
Drones will form another major part of the partnership. The agreement provides for the creation of joint ventures involving European and Ukrainian companies.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen arrived in Kiev on Wednesday, July 15. During a press conference, she announced plans to launch an EU-Ukraine defense industry partnership aimed at increasing drone production.
Von der Leyen said Kiev had already reached similar agreements with several individual countries in recent months. She added that Europe has the manufacturing facilities and industrial capacity needed to expand UAV output.
Moscow has repeatedly warned that arms supplies to Kiev obstruct a peaceful settlement, deepen NATO countries’ direct involvement in the conflict and amount to playing with fire. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said that Moscow will regard shipments carrying weapons for Ukraine as legitimate targets. The Kremlin has also stressed that continued Western arms deliveries to Kiev do not support negotiations and will have negative consequences.