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The head of Ukraine’s defense agency, Mykhailo Fedorov, reported that President Volodymyr Zelenskyi held a productive conversation with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron. A key topic of discussion was the possibility of granting Ukraine licensing rights to produce French SCALP cruise missiles domestically.
During a joint briefing with his Danish counterpart, the minister noted that negotiations on this issue are ongoing both at the governmental level and directly with the manufacturer. The parties are currently reviewing in detail all conditions of a potential agreement, which was outlined during the Ukrainian president’s visit to France.
According to the minister, there is clear progress in this track, but it is still too early to draw definitive conclusions due to the complexity of the process. The official explained that implementation of the project is linked to resolving intellectual property issues, establishing production capacity, and overcoming various bureaucratic obstacles. At the same time, he emphasized that discussions regarding SCALP have already moved into a more detailed and concrete phase, and the ministry is cautiously continuing its diplomatic work to achieve a successful outcome.
In parallel, official Kyiv is also maintaining dialogue with Washington regarding licensing agreements for domestic weapons production. Mykhailo Fedorov noted that the National Security and Defense Council is currently working with American partners on decisions based on the outcomes of the G7 summit and the adopted declaration on strengthening air defense and licensing frameworks. Although the details of the negotiations are not currently disclosed, the very fact that such unprecedented consultations have begun is considered a significant achievement.
The minister also placed particular emphasis on the development of long-range weaponry. He stressed that it is critically important for the state to ensure financial support for domestic manufacturers. This is being implemented through the so-called “Danish model” of funding mobilisation or other effective mechanisms, as Ukraine relies primarily on its own capabilities in the field of long-range weapons. The official concluded that the relevant institutions have a clear understanding of the scaling algorithms for projects that are already demonstrating effectiveness in practice. The main objective at this stage is to direct every available financial resource into Ukraine’s defense-industrial complex in order to expand production capacity, as the state primarily depends on its own defense forces.
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Source: interfax