Ukraine needs missile defence systems, long-range weapons and its own drone production. This was emphasised by Chairman of the Kyiv Security Forum, Arseniy Yatsenyuk, who served as Prime Minister of Ukraine from 2014 to 2016, during an interview on Espreso TV.
In response to a question about the meeting between Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Donald Trump, Yatsenyuk emphasised that the very fact that a conversation took place was important. “The tone was generally positive, and statements were made that could carry real weight if backed up by action. In particular, the issue of granting Ukraine licences to manufacture missiles for the Patriot system is under consideration. That would be the right decision, but it would take at least three years to start manufacturing them. And winter is just around the corner,” he noted.
In Yatsenyuk’s view, Putin has no intention of ending the war and is preparing to continue it. “I see no signs that Putin will begin genuine negotiations before winter. He is stockpiling ballistic missiles – at least 70 a month, and with North Korean missiles, that figure rises to 120–130 a month. He also plans to manufacture 28,000 jet-powered drones a year, partly thanks to support from China,” he added.
According to him, the Kremlin is also banking on political changes in Europe, in particular on the strengthening of pro-Russian forces.
The KSF Chairman named weapons and finance as key priorities for Ukraine. “We need Patriot systems and other missile defence systems; the ballistic capabilities we currently lack – whether Tomahawks or any other substitute – to strike Russian targets. We also need to manufacture our own jet-powered drones and confiscate Russian assets, because we need money. And we will receive this money in exchange for the reforms promised to the European Union and the Ukrainian people,” added Yatsenyuk.