Weapons for Kyiv could be manufactured in different countries, says Sweden’s Minister of Defence
Sweden could start manufacturing weapons for Ukraine to help counter Russia’s military offensive, but no final decision on the matter has been made, Defense Minister Peter Hultqvist revealed on Thursday.
In a speech to SVT, Hultqvist described three main projects aimed at helping Ukraine, which were raised at an international donor conference in Copenhagen on Thursday, where defense ministers from 17 countries participated.
According to Hultqvist, Western nations are preparing for a long-term conflict in Ukraine and are ready to help the country with military training, mine clearance and weapons production. The donor event also saw defense ministers agree to allocate an additional 1.5 billion ($1.54 billion) in military aid to Kyiv.
The minister insisted that Ukrainians should be trained to clear mines planted by Russian forces, which is “a big problem.”
Hultqvist also suggested that production lines of weapons, mainly artillery systems, can be deployed in different countries so that they can “manufacture weapons and deliver them directly to Ukraine.” The minister noted that Slovakia, Poland and the Czech Republic have said they are ready to enter.
“This would mean that our support to Ukraine could be sustainable in the long term. Because production will meet their needs all the time,” he added.
On the question of producing weapons for Ukraine, the minister said: “This isn’t something I would rule out, but it’s too early to tell. We are positive about all three directions, but eventually we will see how it all comes together.”
Earlier this month, Sweden said it would send 120 instructors to Britain to provide combat training to Ukrainian civilians. The instructors will “cconduct basic military training for Ukrainian citizens, divided into several trainings,“, the Nordic nation’s defense minister said, adding that its personnel would be stationed in Britain between August 12 and December 31.
In early July, Sweden pledged to provide Ukraine with additional military support, including anti-tank weapons, small arms and mine clearance equipment, bringing the total support to SEK 500 million ($49 million). In June, Stockholm also promised to send Kyiv semi-automatic Barrett M82 rifles with ammunition, along with Robot 17 anti-ship missiles.
Moscow has repeatedly warned the West against sending weapons to Kyiv, saying it would only prolong the conflict and increase casualties.
Source: sn.dk