NATO companies will compete for Ukraine arms supplies, defence minister says

NATO states will be interested in supplying Ukraine with their weapons, since this will help develop their defence industry and increase their revenues, Ukraine’s defence minister believes.

In an interview with Ukrainian news media outlet NV, Oleksii Reznikov said that when Ukrainian troops use weapons from Western partners, they could achieve interoperability.

He added that this would lead to competition between NATO countries for being the main supplier of certain types of weapons to Ukraine, with them also engaging in their supply, repair, and maintenance.

"For the taxpayers of these countries, the key question should be whose battle tank will be the main one, whose combat aircraft will be the main one, whose combat artillery will be the main one, whose sniper rifle, grenade launcher, air defence system will be the main one in Ukraine's use for victory," Mr Reznikov said.

Through supplies to Ukraine, NATO countries will be able to launch a "huge" production and turn a profit, he added.

Last week, the French defence minister announced that the country would double the supply of 155-mm shells to Ukraine, bringing the number to 2,000 per month.