British weapons and military equipment can be produced in Ukraine under license, which will reduce the country’s dependence on arms supplies from Western allies, the British newspaper Telegraph reported on Sunday.

The Telegraph reported that representatives of the British defense industry visited Kyiv to discuss plans to set up joint ventures to produce weapons and vehicles locally.

Producers from other European countries have also been in talks with Ukraine, the report said, citing an executive who said the UK was in a race to be “first in line” with allies.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday visited London and Paris to call for more Western weapons against the Russian invasion, including modern fighter jets and long-range heavy weapons.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told him that “nothing is beyond discussion” regarding the supply of fighter jets to Ukraine to fight Russia, after he announced a plan to start training Ukrainian pilots to fly NATO fighters.

However, Western countries have so far stopped supplying aircraft or weapons capable of striking deep into Russia.

In response, the TASS news agency, citing the Russian embassy in the UK, warned that any supply of British fighter jets to Ukraine would have serious military and political consequences.

Any joint venture between a defense equipment manufacturer and Ukraine would likely require the signature of the British government, a move that would further anger Moscow, reports The Telegraph.

Sunak’s press service declined to comment on the message, as did the Ministry of Defense.

Source: Reuters.