Transfer of licenses for production of interceptors to Ukraine shows shift in Washington's strategic thinking – expert
The most important event of the NATO summit in Ankara was the statement by US President Donald Trump on his readiness to grant Ukraine a license for the production of interceptor missiles, notes reserve Major General of the Security Service of Ukraine, deputy head of the SBU (2014-15), director of the Agency for Security Sector Reform, and national security expert Viktor Yahun.
"Even if there is still a long way of coordination with American manufacturers ahead, the very fact of such a political statement means a shift in Washington's strategic thinking, and we are truly talking no longer about the transfer of individual air defense batteries, but about the transfer of technology, production, and trust. Because trust and the preservation of those secrets represent a completely different level of partnership," Yahun said during a discussion on the topic "NATO Summit in Ankara: New Strategy on Russia and the Key Role of Ukraine" at the Interfax-Ukraine news agency's press center on Friday.
According to him, agreements on the development of a joint European missile defense system are no less important. "Ukraine, increasingly, is perceived not as a problem that needs to be solved, but as a state without which it is impossible to build a modern defense system for Europe," the expert stated.
The director of the Agency for Security Sector Reform called the change in NATO's attitude toward Ukraine a fundamental shift at the summit. "While a few years ago it was about how much weapons to transfer to Kyiv, today it is already being discussed what place Ukraine will occupy in the joint system of European defense... Europe is increasingly realizing a simple truth: without Ukraine, its own security is impossible," Yahun said.
He also noted that Ukraine, when receiving a license from American manufacturers, does not work from scratch. "We are truly following the path where we understand that by receiving technologies, we do not just copy them, but we use them to develop our own technological solutions, to scale up our production," the expert said.
In addition, the director of the Agency for Security Sector Reform pointed to a complete turnaround in the attitude of partner countries toward Russia. "Everyone already clearly understands who Russia is, what threat it poses, and even this decision to change the police function of the air group that ensures security and cover for the Baltic states from simple patrolling to the possibility of shooting down any objects that violate airspace is the step that has long been awaited. I am not saying they will shoot down Russian planes flying over the Baltic, among others, but this is already a marker showing that the games are over," Yahun said.