EU and Ukraine need common defence industry market – Ukraine's Foreign Minister

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has said that Ukraine and Europe can work together to equalise the "artillery balance" with Russia, and the necessary work is underway. 

Kuleba noted at a joint briefing with EU chief diplomat Josep Borrell in Kyiv that the scale of the Russian-Ukrainian war had reached a level that Ukrainian ammunition stockpiles are "not ready" for.

"We all have to respond to the challenge. To do this, Ukraine is increasing its production of shells on an unprecedented scale, and the EU is taking unprecedented measures to produce shells and purchase them from third countries," Kuleba said.

He noted that a single solution is not enough to change the situation and that the problem needs an integrated approach. 

"We need governments to sign longer-term contracts with European shell manufacturers. We need Ukrainian and European manufacturers to work together more and increase production. Let's remove all administrative obstacles.

In fact, we need to create something like a common market for the defence industry. This is the mission of the EU as an institution – to remove obstacles to the movement of capital, people and goods. And the same should be done for the defence industry," Kuleba said.

He added that it was important to negotiate with countries that have contracted to buy artillery shells in Europe for themselves so that they agree to send them to Ukraine, as well as to source and procure shells from stockpiles in third countries. 

"Can we equalise the artillery balance with Russia? We definitely can if we make these integrated efforts... Thanks to the heroism and creativity of Ukrainian soldiers, we are managing to deter Russia despite the fact that we are really suffering from a shortage of ammunition. 

However, it is important that the shell shortage never turns into shell hunger. We need to work every day to prevent that, and that is exactly what is happening now," concluded Kuleba. 

Kuleba also commented on the situation with the Ukraine aid bill that is stuck in the US Congress.