Zelenskyy calls for NATO to increase Western investment in Ukraine’s defense sector

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Jun 24, 2025
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged Western nations and defense companies to boost investments in Ukraine’s defense industry and prevent their components from ending up in Russian weapons, as NATO and EU leaders prepare to discuss defense spending and support for Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on Western countries and defense companies to increase investments in Ukraine’s defense sector and to redouble efforts to ensure that their components do not end up in Russian weapons systems. Speaking from The Hague on the eve of a NATO summit, Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s defense industry is capable of producing far more than it currently does, but is constrained by a lack of funding.

“Our defense production potential has surpassed $35 billion,” Zelenskyy told the NATO Defence Industry Forum, noting that Ukraine produces over 1,000 types of weapons, including artillery, armored vehicles, drones, and missiles. “But around 40% of this potential lacks proper funding. That’s a problem. For example, we can produce over eight million drones of different types each year but the financing allows for far fewer.”

He invited various forms of cooperation in the defense sector, including joint weapons production, and urged allies to increase investments.

NATO leaders are expected to discuss raising the alliance’s defense spending target from the current 2% of GDP to 5%, a proposal championed by US President Donald Trump. Zelenskyy described the new target as “the right level” and encouraged European countries to boost their defense spending, arguing that a united Europe could deter Russia from further aggression.

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, NATO members have significantly increased defense spending, though several are only now meeting the 2% target. The EU has introduced a plan to enhance defense production and deployment before 2030, with an estimated value of €800 billion, including a €150 billion loan program open to Ukraine. Zelenskyy welcomed this initiative, emphasizing Ukraine’s role as an “equal partner” in the program.

Zelenskyy also warned that Russia, with support from Iran, North Korea, and some Chinese companies, continues to receive Western-made equipment. He called on Western nations and companies to prevent their products from reaching Russia’s defense sector, stating, “Every single component or machine tool delivered to Russia’s defense sector helps prolong the war and is a crime against peace.”

The EU has implemented 17 sanctions packages targeting Russia, with an 18th package under development to further restrict Moscow’s energy and financial sectors. The EU leaders’ summit, which Zelenskyy is set to attend, will address Ukraine’s situation.

Ukraine is only briefly mentioned in the draft NATO joint declaration, with no reference to an “irreversible path” to membership. In Brussels, Hungary continues to block Ukraine’s EU accession bid, preventing a unanimous decision to open negotiations. A senior EU official said the leaders’ conclusions on Ukraine may be approved by 26 member states, rather than unanimously, which carries less weight in EU decision-making.

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