Ukrainian President Zelensky announces creation of international arms manufacturing alliance
The first international defence forum DFNC1 has taken place in Kyiv, aiming to establish cooperation between leading global defense companies and Ukraine. During the forum, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the creation of a new alliance of arms manufacturers who are ready to unite to assist Ukraine.
"Today we announce the formation of the Alliance of Defence Industries. An alliance that values international law and knows how to work for the real protection of international law and security. I am not only talking about Ukraine, but also about security from aggression for all nations in the world," he said at the forum.
Zelensky also mentioned that Kyiv is ready to offer "special conditions" to companies that decide to produce weapons in Ukraine. He also shared plans about establishing a special fund, which will be financed in part by the sale of confiscated Russian assets.
"We are creating joint enterprises and service centers, which help gradually integrate the Ukrainian defence industry into the defence industry environment of partner countries," explained Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.
Additionally, a separate fund is planned to be created to support servicemen, develop military infrastructure, and develop new technologies. The financing will be ensured through dividends from state defence enterprises, as well as profits from the sale of confiscated Russian assets, according to a statement from the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Representatives from 252 defence enterprises from over 30 countries in Europe, America, Asia, and Australia attended the forum. 38 companies from 19 countries have already joined the alliance.