The Telegraph: British officials talking to Kyiv about potentially manufacturing weapons in Ukraine

“Senior UK defence industry officials” have been discussing the possibility of manufacturing British weaponry and military vehicles in Ukraine with their Kyiv counterparts, The Telegraph reports, citing sources.

According to the newspaper, British officials have already visited Ukraine — they are planning to sign a contract with Ukraine before France and Germany, which are also negotiating with Ukraine about manufacturing weapons, do.

On the one hand, experts think that establishing its own production together with London will make Ukraine less dependent on Western arms supply and will bring Ukraine closer to the UK and NATO. On the other hand, independent defence expert Francis Tusa says that such factories could become a new target for the Russian army’s massive attacks.

“A tank factory isn’t small. And quite frankly, if I’m Putin it’ll be one of the first places I take out,” he says, as quoted by The Telegraph.

On 10 February, Ukrainian authorities filed an official request with the Netherlands to supply F-16 fighter jets.

“We need to discuss the availability of F-16s with the Americans and other allies. <…> We should also seriously consider the consequences, it cannot just happen like that overnight,” Dutch Defence Minister Kajsa Ollongren said.

On 8 February, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky visited the UK and addressed the British Parliament. The UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that “nothing is off the table” addressing the topic of supplying Ukraine with fighter jets.

On 31 January, the US President Joe Biden declared that the United States would not supply Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets. The US is already supplying Ukraine with different “capabilities” that the country will have the need for this winter and spring, White House National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby noted at the time.

Discussions on the issue of sending Ukraine fighter jets started after deliveries of Western-made tanks to Ukraine had been approved after months of war.

Politico previously reported, citing sources, that Western countries were discussing the possibility of handing F-16s over to Ukraine, with the Baltic states being especially in favour of the idea. But this decision will probably be more divisive than the tank situation, the media outlet noted.