The deployment of weapons production under licenses granted by the United States to cover its acute shortage can be rolled out at factories in both European Union countries and Ukraine, Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany Friedrich Merz has reported.
"The specific licenses relating to this will be discussed in detail between the participating states. Indeed, this applies to comprehensive licensing agreements, in particular those granted by American companies to European manufacturers," Merz said at a press conference on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains (France) on Wednesday, answering journalists’ questions as to whether German defense companies would be involved in weapons production in the context of the licensed weapons production in Ukraine mentioned in the final G7 declaration.
He expressed gratitude to US President Donald Trump and all members of the American delegation for a "truly high level of readiness for cooperation." At the same time, the Chancellor did not specify which exact weapons were being discussed.
"We all have a problem that we are currently producing too little. And this can be compensated for by granting licenses to companies that have these production capacities. And this applies to both European and Ukrainian companies," Merz said.
As reported, on Tuesday Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that Trump reacted positively to the proposal to grant Ukraine licenses for the production of anti-ballistic missiles and hopes that he will agree to such a step.
On Wednesday, the leaders of the G7 countries adopted a final statement in which they declared unwavering support for Ukraine and noted positive dynamics on the front; they declared intentions to urgently increase the supply of air defense systems and long-range weapons, and also proposed an unprecedented solution – granting licenses for the production of Western weapons directly in Ukraine. The statement noted that the G7 countries agree to increase the supply of air defense capacities, additional systems and interceptors, as well as long-range capabilities. "We are also ready to consider the possibility of extending licenses to Ukraine, which will allow for increasing Ukraine’s military production," the document reads.
Earlier, at the end of May, Zelenskyy stated that the production of anti-ballistic missiles in the US was insufficient and that Ukraine was critically dependent on them. According to him, Germany holds some licenses for the production of the respective missiles, and he has repeatedly appealed to the American side to grant Ukraine licenses to increase the production of missiles for Patriot systems, which, according to the president, would be very useful for Ukraine, the Middle East, and "everyone whom the United States decides to help."
According to the President of Ukraine, Russia is increasing its internal production of ballistic missiles, while the production of missile defense capabilities in the US is insufficient. "We need to increase production. I know all the companies in the United States, huge companies, big companies, but only the United States can produce such a quantity. 60-65 missiles per month for today’s challenges is nothing. Russia knows this, it is not secret information. We need to expand production," Zelenskyy said.
