Western arms companies are interested in producing weapons in Ukraine, but only after the end of the war, thus avoiding pressing invitations from the government in Kyiv, Reuters reported, based on interviews with several industry executives.

Ukraine is desperate to increase its weapons arsenal, needing drones, ammunition and tanks, among other things, as its arms industry was largely destroyed in the early days of the Russian invasion.

On Monday, a deputy minister in the Ukrainian government told Reuters that negotiations are underway with arms companies in Germany, France, Italy and Eastern Europe to explore the possibility of opening factories in Ukraine.

But the leaders of the industry, interviewed by Reuters journalists at the aviation salon, which is taking place these days in Paris, say that the opening of production facilities on the territory of Ukraine is too big a risk.

“You just have to think about the bigger picture, given the current state of things (…) and the risk associated with co-production [alături de Ucraina]”, – says Greg Ulmer, director of the aeronautics division of the American giant Lockheed Martin. He also said that he was not aware of possible negotiations regarding the opening of Lockheed production sites in Ukraine.

However, representatives of two other major defense industry companies confirmed to Reuters that they had heard of the Ukrainian government’s actions, with one of them saying that his company was ready to sign an industrial partnership contract with Ukraine, but only after the end of the war started by Vladimir Putin last year.

Kyiv is courting Western arms manufacturers

None of the executives interviewed by Reuters in Paris expressed interest in investing directly in Ukraine while the war is still ongoing.

However, last month the German company Rheinmetall announced that it had reached an agreement with the Ukrainian conglomerate Ukroboronprom to open a tank production and repair plant in Ukraine.

Also in May, the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said that Ukraine is working with the company to create a factory for the production of ammunition and repairs in Ukraine.

But industry executives point out that repair businesses are much easier to set up than mass assembly lines.

“It takes time because, like in any other country, you have to try to assess who are the right partners, who can do what. And to do this while they (non-Ukrainians) are waging war is not an easy task,” said Mikael Johansson, CEO of the Swedish arms company Saab.

But the biggest problem is that the big players in the insurance market have ruled out providing guarantees for Ukraine altogether, even though Britain and France separately announced on Wednesday that they plan to set up mechanisms for Western businesses in Ukraine to get protection during wartime.

Ukraine can become the European pole of arms production if it wins the war

Instead, many arms industry executives see enormous potential in Ukraine after the end of the war.

“What we do know is that there is a highly skilled workforce out there, made up of people who are eager to learn, extremely pragmatic and have a can-do culture,” says Ricardo Mendes, CEO of Tekever, a UK-based drone company and Portugal.

He also noted that Tekever does not yet have specific plans for production facilities in post-war Ukraine, but intends to “invest and significantly contribute to the development of the industrial base” that produces drones in the country led by Volodymyr Zelensky.

Some analysts predict that if the war ends this year, Ukraine could move to concrete negotiations that would lead to the creation of a powerful peacetime defense industry.

“It’s a great idea, it’s just a matter of time,” said Richard Aboulafia, aerospace systems analyst and specialist at AeroDynamic Advisories. “The long-term goal will be to introduce Ukraine into the Western industrial ecosystem and, perhaps, even into a political and military alliance,” he also said, mentioning the possibility of the neighboring country joining NATO.

However, for now, most arms manufacturers want to help Ukraine from afar.

“Never say never, right? But right now, the main goal is to make sure they have what they need,” says Chris Kalio, CEO of Raytheon Technologies.

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