Ukraine’s defence industry is the best; Europe should follow its example – European Commissioner
This was stated by Andrius Kubilius, European Commissioner for Defence and Space, during the European Defence and Security Summit in Brussels on 23 June.
According to him, it was the development of the defence industry that became one of the key factors enabling Ukraine to adapt to modern warfare and change its nature.
Why is the Ukrainian army considered the best in Europe?
Kubilius recalled that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Finnish President Alexander Stubb had previously described the Ukrainian army as the strongest in Europe and the best adapted to modern combat operations.
“But why do they consider the Ukrainian army to be the best? My answer is: not only because Ukraine has brave soldiers and intelligent commanders, but also because its defence industry is the best and most innovative,” said the European Commissioner.
As an example, he cited the rapid development of drone production following the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion. In his view, it is precisely this ability to rapidly adopt new technologies that has enabled Ukraine to gain an advantage on the battlefield.
The EU has been urged to learn from Ukraine’s experience
Kubilius emphasised that the European Union should integrate Ukraine into its common defence industry, defence market and the future European Defence Union. He also called on EU countries to learn from Ukraine’s experience of rapid and large-scale arms production.
The official drew particular attention to the pace of arms production in Russia. According to him, Russia still manufactures more defence products than the European Union, which poses additional risks to the continent’s security.
“This creates a temptation for Putin. National parliaments must ask their governments: why are our defence industries not scaling up, despite increased funding?” he emphasised.
As an example of the effectiveness of Ukraine’s defence industry, he cited the growth in production since 2022. According to Kubilius, during this period Ukraine has increased its defence production 50-fold and reached a level that currently “the defence industries of Germany or France are capable of producing in a year”.
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