Ukraine provides over 40% of the weapons used to defend the nation's independence against Russia's full-scale invasion, President Volodymyr Zelensky said at the State and Business Forum in Kyiv on June 27. As Ukraine scales up domestic defense production, Zelensky has been lobbying foreign partners to provide funding to help match its manufacturing capacity. The government and Ukrainian businesses now provide more than 40% of the weapons the country uses in its fight against Russia, Zelensky sai
Ukraine provides over 40% of the weapons used to defend the nation's independence against Russia's full-scale invasion, President Volodymyr Zelensky said at the State and Business Forum in Kyiv on June 27.
As Ukraine scales up domestic defense production, Zelensky has been lobbying foreign partners to provide funding to help match its manufacturing capacity.
The government and Ukrainian businesses now provide more than 40% of the weapons the country uses in its fight against Russia, Zelensky said. Business-driven innovations in technology have helped Ukraine on the battlefield, particularly in drone development.
"Thanks to Ukrainian entrepreneurship and all the conditions we have created as a state, a new sector of our domestic manufacturing has emerged and immediately become one of the world’s most advanced — the production of drones of various types," Zelensky said.
"Hundreds of companies are now involved in weapons production in one way or another."
Zelensky's comments come a day after Defense Minister Rustem Umerov reported that Ukrainian companies have increased their industrial capacity in order to produce four million drones a year.
At the NATO summit in The Hague on June 24, Zelensky said Ukraine could potentially produce as many as eight million drones per year, but lacks the financial backing to achieve its full capacity. During the summit, Ukraine signed agreements on joint weapons production with the U.K. and Denmark in an effort to bridge the gap between Kyiv's capacity and current funds.
Ukraine has rapidly developed its drone capabilities since 2022, evolving from modifying commercial aircraft to producing military UAVs, attack drones, and reconnaissance systems at scale.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has instructed government officials to prepare a decision introducing a long-term moratorium on business inspections in Ukraine, the Presidential Office announced on June 27. Zelensky discussed the moratorium during an address at the "State and Business Forum: From Dialogue to Partnership," held in Kyiv. "I have instructed that a decision on a long-term moratorium on business inspections be prepared to protect businesses from any pressure by unscrupulous individuals
President Volodymyr Zelensky has instructed government officials to prepare a decision introducing a long-term moratorium on business inspections in Ukraine, the Presidential Office announced on June 27.
Zelensky discussed the moratorium during an address at the "State and Business Forum: From Dialogue to Partnership," held in Kyiv.
"I have instructed that a decision on a long-term moratorium on business inspections be prepared to protect businesses from any pressure by unscrupulous individuals in various government positions," he said.
Economic growth is a vital component of Ukrainian resilience, necessitating ongoing dialogue between the government and entrepreneurs, Zelensky said. In addition to imposing the moratorium on inspections, Kyiv will also expand the Council for Entrepreneurship Support in an effort to cultivate entrepreneurship in Ukraine.
"Even under such harsh conditions of this war, Ukraine can rely on its entrepreneurs — on our domestic Ukrainian manufacturing, our Ukrainian logistics, our Ukrainian services across all sectors — from security to everyday life, as well as on Ukrainian developments and investments," the president said.
Following Russia's full-scale invasion in early 2022 and the onset of martial law, Ukraine temporarily suspended certain business regulations, including tax inspections for businesses. Zelensky signed a law resuming tax inspections for certain businesses in December 2023.
Now in its fourth year of full-scale war against Russia, Ukraine's economy is still attempting to recover from the massive blow dealt in 2022, when the GDP dropped by 29.1%. At the same forum on June 27, Ukraine's new Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko announced another measure meant to boost business: an audit of criminal cases related to businesses in Ukraine.
"The second priority is to finally sort out the proceedings related to business, protect business, and achieve justice in these matters," Kravchenko said.
The Prosecutor's Office will be dedicated to "ensuring the rights of investors and businesses," Kravchenko wrote on his Telegram channel on June 26. Efforts to safeguard businesses will not interfere with Ukraine's legal obligations and the regulatory reforms required for its integration into the European Union, he said.
Ukraine's next goal in ongoing negotiations with Russia is to organize a direct meeting between President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said during a press briefing on June 26.Speaking to journalists in Kyiv, Umerov, who was part of Ukrainian peace talks delegation, outlined a multi-stage negotiation process that began in January with an initiative from U.S. President Donald Trump. Umerov stressed that Ukraine welcomed the idea of a cease
Ukraine's next goal in ongoing negotiations with Russia is to organize a direct meeting between President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said during a press briefing on June 26.
Speaking to journalists in Kyiv, Umerov, who was part of Ukrainian peace talks delegation, outlined a multi-stage negotiation process that began in January with an initiative from U.S. President Donald Trump. Umerov stressed that Ukraine welcomed the idea of a ceasefire from the outset and remains fully committed to a just peace.
"Ukraine has always remained consistent in its pursuit of peace," Umerov said. "We supported the U.S. initiative for a full ceasefire from the very beginning and demonstrated our commitment through multiple rounds of negotiations. But any dialogue must take place without ultimatums and with full respect for our country's sovereignty."
The talks unfolded in several rounds in Jeddah, Riyadh, Paris, London, and Istanbul. During the second round of negotiations in Riyadh, Ukraine communicated with Russia indirectly, through U.S. mediators. In Turkey, U.S. mediators were excluded from talks due to Russia's request, according to Umerov.
"President Zelensky's proposal to meet with Putin is aimed at showing Donald Trump that Moscow is not truly seeking peace," Mykola Kniazhytzkyi, a Ukrainian lawmaker from the European Solidarity party, told the Kyiv Independent.
"Its real goal is the destruction of Ukrainian statehood and the genocide of the Ukrainian people."
Oleksandr Merezhko, a lawmaker from Zelensky’s party and chair of the parliament's foreign affairs committee, called the proposal for a bilateral high-level meeting "an interesting political step." He said it is a logical move since "Putin decides everything in Russia."
However, the MP questioned the overall advisability of a direct meeting between Zelensky and Putin.
"It seems to me that it would be better to conduct such negotiations in a format involving not only Zelensky, but also the United States and the European Union," Merezhko said, adding that European leaders could help build a "balance of power," given the risk that the U.S. might potentially lean toward Russia.
He said that talks between the leaders should take place after the ceasefire, at least a temporary one, is in place.
"For them (Russia), negotiations are a tool of war. They have never conducted them in good faith and will never do this. In general, there is no need for negotiations, there is a need for pressure (from the West)," Merezhko said.
Umerov said Ukraine had accepted a U.S.-proposed full ceasefire across land, sea, and air in early March, but Russia has rejected the proposal.
While no agreement on a comprehensive ceasefire has been reached, talks have led to a few major prisoner exchanges, including a 1,000-for-1,000 swap that took place in late May and a follow-up deal for up to 1,200 prisoners from each side.
Umerov said the focus of recent negotiations has included humanitarian issues such as the release of civilians and children, as well as conditions for a meeting of Ukrainian and Russian leaders. He emphasized that the next stage must include top-level dialogue.
"After completing discussions on humanitarian issues, Ukraine plans to move forward to the topic of a leaders' summit for substantive dialogue," he said.
The latest peace talks between Russia and Ukraine took place on June 2 in Istanbul, following an earlier meeting on May 16. Both times, the Ukrainian delegation was led by Umerov. Despite Ukraine's insistence on a 30-day ceasefire, Russia proposed only a temporary 2–3-day truce in limited areas to retrieve the bodies of fallen soldiers. Umerov called this offer "insufficient" and accused Moscow of avoiding meaningful peace.
"Russia rejects even the very idea of stopping the killings," Umerov said following the June 2 talks. "That's why we appeal to the world: pressure is needed for real peace, not for an imitation of negotiations."
Zelensky has also criticized Moscow's limited ceasefire offers and called on Trump to follow through on promised sanctions if talks remain fruitless. Trump has repeatedly suggested that he is monitoring the peace process closely and warned that the U.S. response could change if Putin is not prepared to end the war.
No further U.S. sanctions were imposed after more than 100 days of Moscow's refusal to the proposed ceasefire.
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The Kyiv IndependentThe Kyiv Independent news desk
