Executive Director of the Technological Forces of Ukraine, Kateryna Mykhalko, is convinced that after the opening of arms exports, Ukraine must compete in this matter for the markets of neutral countries, including Russia.
Executive Director of the Technological Forces of Ukraine, Kateryna Mykhalko, is convinced that after the opening of arms exports, Ukraine must compete in this matter for the markets of neutral countries, including Russia.
«Export to the European Union is the first and logical step. But it is strategically important how Ukraine will win back the market of neutral countries in Russia. Because this will make us richer, and our enemy, if not poorer, then at least deprive him of the opportunity to earn additional income. This is how it should work,» she noted in an interview with dev.ua.
According to Mikhalko, Russia clearly views its drone technologies as an important component of its export potential.
«This winter I was at the IDEX exhibition in Abu Dhabi. I accidentally came across the Russian center at this exhibition. The drones they manufacture were beautifully presented there. So something makes me think that they probably see the drone market as their significant export potential. In fact, the problem is that there are only two countries in the world that have similar experience with drones — and these are Ukraine and Russia,» said the head of the TSU.
According to Kateryna Mykhalko, the question is who will gain global leadership in this aspect faster, and Ukraine has both the moral right and the opportunity to monetize its experience with drones.
«So could we potentially sell, if not military technologies, then dual-use technologies there? Or some drones that are already unnecessary or technologically obsolete for us? Because this is a potential inflow of foreign currency into Ukraine, and the security risks are minimal. If we have diplomatic relations with these countries and if we are talking about dual-use technologies, then these are potentially good markets for Ukraine,» she is convinced.
Mikhalko stated that, according to open sources, Russia declares that it has export contracts worth $50–55 billion, and even if this amount is inflated, it is still significant.
As dev.ua reported, according to Kateryna Mykhalko, the Verkhovna Rada is working on a draft law on arms exports, which should lay the foundations for legislative regulation of this process.
According to industry representatives, private arms manufacturers from Ukraine should be able to export their products, as export restrictions lead to the relocation of this business, and, as a result, a decrease in the share of defense tech in total IT exports and a loss of export potential.
