LONDON — Ukrainian officials are exploring a mechanism to ease weapons export restrictions in sectors such as drone production, paving the way for cooperation with Baltic and Scandinavian countries as well as the U.K. and the Netherlands, according to a Ukrainian official.
Since the launch of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukraine has implemented an embargo on arms exports in an attempt to direct all supplies to its defensive efforts. Lawmakers have been pondering recently how some constraints could be lifted to generate revenue that could then flow back into the local arms industry.
“The embargo remains in place, but we are working on a formula that would allow it to be lifted for certain industries, including drones, for possible cooperation and production with Joint Expeditionary Force [JEF] countries,” Ihor Brusylo, foreign policy adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy toldDefense News in an interview.
The JEF is a U.K.-led coalition of ten countries, including Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Norway.
Brusylo added that the framework being assessed would entail an understanding along the lines of “so long as the war continues, all the production would be sent back to Ukraine for use by our troops, but once the situation stabilizes and the war is over, production would be split 50-50.”
Although the JEF is not a stand-alone army, it was designed to be an agile defense force that can deploy troops swiftly in response to crises and assist in international operations led by NATO, the United Nations or other organizations.
Despite being granted “enhanced partnership” status in May, Ukraine is still pushing for full membership in the JEF, a goal it hoped to achieve this year but has yet to realize, according to Brusylo.
“Becoming a full-fledged member of the JEF was a goal we had for this year, which unfortunately has not yet materialized as some countries still had some reservations. … I am hopeful Ukraine will gain membership in the next year,” he said.
Joining the alliance, he said, would allow broader opportunities for Ukraine to not only observe but actively join JEF exercises, improve interoperability and knowledge-sharing and would send a message that Ukraine’s future lies with Europe.
He added that it would be a necessary step towards “enhancing deterrence without JEF countries needing to join the hostilities of the war.” Countries could also leverage Kyiv’s battlefield experience against Russia to improve their own capabilities.
In June, officials from eight Northern European countries, including the U.K. and Nordic-Baltic states, called for Ukraine to become a full participant in the defense framework. In a letter co-authored by eight lawmakers representing these countries, they argued that “if NATO cannot take further steps towards Ukraine’s inclusion, the JEF should do just that.”
Ukraine’s prospects of obtaining NATO membership have recently stalled. As of last year, at least seven countries were against the country immediately joining the military alliance, which included Germany, the U.S., Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia, Belgium and Spain, according to a report from Politico.
Brusylo said that while NATO remains Ukraine’s ultimate goal, full participation in the JEF would be a welcome short-term step.
Author: Elisabeth Gosselin-Malo
Source: DefenseNews
Reviewed By: Editorial Team
