Kyiv moves to open regulated arms exports to partner countries

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has approved an updated membership of the Interagency Commission on Military-Technical Cooperation Policy and Export Control, a step that paves the way for the launch of a controlled mechanism for exporting Ukrainian-made weapons.

According to Rustem Umerov, Secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council, the functioning of the renewed Interagency Commission makes it possible to begin regulated exports of Ukrainian arms to partner-country markets. Writing on his Telegram channel, Umerov said the next phase will involve establishing a clear, transparent and effective framework governing such exports. He added that the necessary decisions are already being developed by central government authorities together with members of the commission.

Umerov подчеркнул that Ukraine’s defence-industrial complex has demonstrated its effectiveness under the most difficult conditions. He said that technologies developed in Ukraine should serve as a foundation not only for the country’s own security but also for the security of its allies.

“Ukraine must derive maximum benefit from the development of its defence-industrial complex. This will allow the sector to scale up, including in foreign markets, while ensuring national security priorities,” Umerov wrote.

The introduction of controlled arms exports, he noted, opens the door to new security alliances and creates opportunities to attract investment into the defence sector. The Interagency Commission is tasked with establishing clear and transparent rules under which arms exports will be conducted strictly under state oversight and exclusively in the interests of Ukraine’s defence.

Umerov also pointed out that current production capacities in key areas — including unmanned aerial vehicles, electronic warfare systems and reconnaissance equipment — exceed the volume of state procurement. “That is why the coordinated sale of this output to partners represents an opportunity to attract new investment into the development of defence technologies and to create innovative products for the Defence Forces,” he said.

By Tamilla Hasanova