We can’t depend on US support, must increase own weapons production: FM Kuleba

Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba has said that Ukraine is increasing its own production of all types of weapons and militarising its economy to depend as little as possible on the support of Western allies, including the United States.

In an interview with German news media outlet Welt, Mr Kuleba said that Ukraine cannot afford to depend on US support alone.

Speaking about the US presidential election due next year, Ukraine’s FM said that "we will have to wait and see."

"But we are preparing because we cannot afford to depend solely on American support," he conceded.

"That is why we are now investing huge amounts of money in our own production of all types of weapons, significantly increasing production and militarising our economy."

Oleksandr Kamyshin, the minister of strategic industries of Ukraine, earlier said that Ukraine and the United States would start producing air defence systems together, with the first results due by the end of this year.