Shmyhal: Ukraine not buffer or a gray zone, we are new opportunity for Europe to rediscover its identity

Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal says that Ukraine is ready to become a new participant and exporter of security, energy, critical resources and digital innovations in Europe.

"We are not a buffer zone, we are not a gray zone, we are a new opportunity for Europe to rediscover its identity. We must recognize the new reality: free trade no longer guarantees security, energy is no longer apolitical, and supply chains are no longer neutral. However, we believe that Europe can rediscover itself in this historical storm, and that Ukraine can become a new anchor of stability... Ukraine today is not just a battlefield, it is a field of opportunities. We are ready to become a new participant and exporter of security, energy, critical resources, and digital innovations," Shmyhal said at the Ukraine-EU business summit in Brussels on Thursday.

He stressed that this will be beneficial not only for the European Union, but also for European business, for which Ukraine is becoming a new place for profitable investments.

In particular, the Prime Minister stated that critical minerals are another sector where Ukraine invites European investments.

"Currently, the EU imports many of them from outside the continent, but Ukraine can help change this. European industry can provide a reliable source of raw materials here in Europe, laying the foundation for a new industrial revolution carried out in Europe," Shmyhal added.

Among other things, he noted the prospects for cooperation in reconstruction projects, the use of gas storage, renewable energy sources, agriculture and the IT sector.

In addition, the Prime Minister emphasized that the war has become a catalyst for rapid innovation in Ukraine's defense industry.

"Europe needs rearmament and greater strategic defense autonomy - and Ukraine can become its industrial core. We invite European defense companies to cooperate. We offer qualified specialists, production facilities and strong investment incentives. The EU Defense Industrial Strategy and the EDIP program open new horizons for our cooperation. Next month, the second Ukraine-EU Defense Industry Forum will be held in Brussels, and we invite all interested European companies to participate," he said.