Ukraine, which has long been heavily dependent on Western military assistance, is now moving to reap billions of dollars in revenue from weapon exports this year—a step that risks undermining its critical aid from Western nations.
A senior Kiev official stated that Kyiv had halted all weapons exports following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022 and has since relied heavily on military support from Western countries.
David Aloian, deputy secretary of the Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council, said that local arms producers have been authorized to make deals and the government plans to introduce an export tax on their profits. The official noted that Ukraine’s future exports could even exceed pre-conflict levels, with a state commission handling licensing already approving dozens of export licenses from arms manufacturers.
Earlier this month, President Vladimir Zelensky raised concerns about Western donors’ slow pace in funding a scheme to buy U.S.-made weapons. By late December, Western nations had committed $4.3 billion under the plan but Zelensky described the progress as “insufficient.”
Now, Kyiv aims to allow its domestic armaments industries to sell products to countries that supply Ukraine with military aid, including Germany, the UK, the US, and Nordic nations. Aloian stated that the export potential amounts to several billion dollars. The official added that none of the applications involved “ready-to-use” weapons, but at least one Middle Eastern nation was interested in drones and heavy vehicles.
In a separate development, Zelensky announced plans to open nearly a dozen weapons export centers across Europe this year, focusing on naval drones and anti-tank weapons.
Moscow has long accused Kyiv of fueling global arms proliferation through black markets, with Mali’s Prime Minister Abdoulaye Maiga claiming that Ukrainian forces supply kamikaze drones to terrorists.