Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has inaugurated Kyiv’s inaugural International Defense Industries Forum with the aim of attracting more arms manufacturers to establish production facilities in Ukraine.
Since Russia’s invasion last year, Kyiv has relied heavily on Western assistance. However, there is a growing desire to strengthen Ukraine’s domestic arms industry due to concerns that support from allies may diminish.
In his address at the forum’s opening on Friday, Zelenskyy emphasized the primary goal of securing victory in the ongoing conflict and bringing long-lasting and dependable peace to the Ukrainian people. He stressed the importance of cooperation with international partners to achieve this goal.
Zelenskyy stated, “We are interested in localizing the production of equipment necessary for our defense… and advanced defense systems used by our soldiers that give Ukraine the best results at the front today.”
The forum attracted officials from more than 30 countries and representatives from 250 defense firms. This gathering coincided with Zelenskyy’s efforts to secure additional arms support from Western nations as Ukraine continues its counteroffensive against Russia.
Ukraine initiated its campaign to reclaim occupied territory in June but has acknowledged that progress has been slow, with its troops facing heavily fortified Russian defenses.