Ukraine and the US signed a weapons production deal on Friday, which will allow munitions makers to manufacture their goods in Ukraine. The weapons deal came at the end of a series of meetings over 24 hours when Zelensky was in Washington, DC meeting with the Senate and Joe Biden.
The House declined to have a briefing with Zelensky or to allow him to speak before a joint session of Congress.
"Ukrainian corporations signed agreements with more than 2,000 U.S. defense companies to kick-start future collaboration efforts in Ukraine," Foreign Policy reports.
President Volodymyr Zelensky called the deal "historic" in his daily address to the population of Ukraine, and expressed that this would be a means to create jobs in an economy that has been pummeled by war since the Russian invasion in February 2022.
"It was a very important visit to Washington, very important results," he said in the Friday address, posted on his presidential website, "with very important results."
"I met with President Biden and his team, you will come on, do you know we'll build on that, there is a new defense package Air Defense Artillery shells engineering equipment. There is also a long term agreement we will work together for Ukraine to produce the necessary weapons together with the United States.
"This is a new level of our unity, CO production in the defense industry with the United States is a historic thing. A new industrial base, new jobs for both our nations. In particular, Ukraine will be able to produce air defense systems.
"We are preparing to create a new defense ecosystem together with the United States to produce weapons to further reinforce freedoms and the protection of life together. This will yield global positive results by the President. Thank you, Mr. President Biden," he said.
Under the auspices of the Ministry for Strategic Industries, three Ukrainian companies signed deals with over 2,000 US defense companies, and the agreements are meant to increase weapons production for the war effort.
The US will now aid weapons manufacturing in Ukraine. This will likely bring US workers into Ukraine to work in munitions manufacturing. The idea is to reduce reliance on US weapons, but the US will likely continue paying aid to Ukraine for their war needs. The plan is to allow the country to manufacture its own air defense systems, such as missiles, which have been coming from the US.
His hope is to "advance its domestic weapons production capabilities by reforming its arms industry," Foreign Policy reports.
Zelensky hopes that Ukraine will host a 20-nation arms production forum, where Ukrainian munitions manufacturing is front and center.
