Foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba accuses EU of spending ‘too much time deliberating’ over ramping up weapons production

Joe Barnes, BRUSSELS CORRESPONDENT

and Tim Sigsworth 28 December 2023

Europe “doesn’t know how to fight wars”, Ukraine’s foreign minister said in a swipe at the continent’s failure to ramp up weapons production.

“The production of weapons is not the most popular area of business,” Dmytro Kuleba told the Kyiv Independent.

“Unfortunately, our friends spent too much time deliberating on how and when to ramp up their production of weapons and ammunition.”

His warning came as the United States exhausted its remaining available military aid for Ukraine with a final $250m (£195million) funding package.

It is the last tranche of aid Washington can send to support the country’s defence against Russiawithout further approval from Congress.

Mr Kuleba’s comments mark Kyiv’s strongest criticism yet of Europe’s inability to open new production lines to meet the challenges of supplying Ukraine as the second anniversary of the invasion approaches.

Weapons deliveries have started to dwindle in recent months as stockpiles among Kyiv’s Western backers begin to dry up.

Ukraine and Nato have repeatedly warned that the production of ammunition and arms needs to be significantly ramped up to match Russia’s military-industrial complex, which has been on a war footing since Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion in February 2022.

The European Union failed in its bid to ramp up manufacturing of 155mm artillery shells in a bid to deliver one million rounds to Ukraine by March and Hungary vetoed a proposed $55bn aid package from the bloc earlier this month.

‘Europe clearly has an advantage in its technology’

Ukrainian commanders have said that faltering Western arms supplies have forced them to scale back some offensive operations.

“I’m more concerned with the pace of development of defence industries than with the arrival of new types of weapons,” Mr Kuleba said.

“The defence industry in Russia is government-owned. Under the conditions of authoritarian rule and government control of industry, it’s easier to grow military production. Even while enjoying the status of the most sanctioned country in the world, it’s still easier to put your industry in the wartime realm and increase production,” he added.

“Europe clearly has an advantage in its technology. The problem and challenge they face is scaling up that technology’s production. I regret to say it, but this will not be enough if the situation doesn’t change. And Russia will be ahead of us.”

Ukraine has held discussions about attempting to forge more joint defence production projects between its domestic industry and those in the West.

A senior Ukrainian source told The Telegraph: “We definitely try to attract foreign companies in the defence sector to produce in Ukraine.”

Britain’s BAE Systems has agreed to create a factory in Ukraine to produce 105mm light artillery guns.

America’s General Dynamics is also understood to be working on plans to open a facility in the west of the war-torn country to produce mainly 155mm artillery shells.

And the EU is set to enhance cooperation between European and Ukrainian defence firms as part of a long-term security pact, The Telegraph reported earlier this month.

them,” the foreign minister added.

“Ukraine is at stake in this debate today or in this capacity-building effort today. But what is at stake tomorrow? It’s their security – the security of European countries. Because if anyone believes Putin will not dare to attack a Nato country if he wins in Ukraine, that person is either naive or is pursuing Russian interests in this discourse.”

In its final aid package of the year, the US will supply Kyiv with air defence and artillery ammunition, rockets for the Himars launchers, anti-armour weapons and over 15 million rounds of ammunition.

Congress has approved more than $110 billion in aid for Ukraine since the Russian invasion but has not signed off on any new funds since Republicans took control of the House of Representatives from the Democrats in January.

President Joe Biden has requested another $61 billion for Kyiv, but Republicans have until now refused to approve the funding over demands for tighter border security along the US-Mexico frontier.

Lawmakers are expected to take up the issue again in early January.

Meanwhile, Washington has reportedly proposed the G7 investigate how $300bn in Russian assets frozen by the West can be seized and sent to Ukraine.

“Our assistance has been critical to supporting our Ukrainian partners as they defend their country and their freedom against Russia’s aggression,” Antony Blinken, the secretary of state said.

“It is imperative that Congress act swiftly, as soon as possible, to advance our national security interests by helping Ukraine defend itself and secure its future.”

The US is said to have suggested to allies that options for carrying out the seizures be prepared ahead of a potential G7 meeting near the second anniversary of the Russian invasion in late February.

Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesperson, warned last week that Russia would “never leave in peace” any country that seized its assets and would retaliate by seizing Western assets.