The signed agreements on strategic principles of defense partnership between Ukraine and the United States could in the future reach the level of military financial support that the United States provides to Israel, Deputy Director of the Center for Army Research, Conversion and Disarmament Mykhailo Samus said.
“The result of Zelensky’s visit to Washington could be a strategic defense partnership between Ukraine and the United States, close in terms of the level of support that the United States provides to Israel. Israel receives American funding for the purchase of weapons [amid the aggravation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict]. I hope the visit Zelensky in the United States will create such defense capabilities that would be at the level of Israel,” Samus told Interfax-Ukraine.
He said that in addition to the Javelin missiles, the new military package, which the United States will provide to Ukraine, may include reconnaissance, control and communications systems, as well as vehicle complexes for the army as non-lethal weapons.
“At the same time, a lot of weapons, let us say, cannot be invested in $60 million provided to Ukraine, and the Ukrainian army now needs to replace Soviet weapons. The priority is the immediate rearmament of the naval equipment of the Ukrainian Navy. The United States, as part of its military assistance, is already transferring Island-class patrol boats to Ukraine, and Mark VI in the future,” Samus said.
According to the expert, other military projects would also be a positive result of the defense agreement. “Particularly, in aviation, since Ukraine needs to replace Soviet Su-type fighters,” he said.
Adviser to the head of the President’s Office Oleksiy Arestovych said, the agreements signed between Ukroboronprom and U.S. defense companies in the amount of $2.5 billion, signed during Zelensky’s visit to Washington, provide for the joint development of weapons. “First of all, the means of air defense. There is also cyber security. A lot of things. However, some of the agreements are of a closed nature,” he said.
Co-director of foreign policy and international security programs at the Razumkov Center Oleksiy Melnyk also believes that the U.S. defense package includes an item on air defense, as well as on the supply of naval equipment to Ukraine.
“As for the joint development of air defense, it may be very good, but production is unlikely to begin this year. The fact that some kind of assembly of American samples can be established is likely, since Ukraine will gradually be forced to abandon Soviet-made samples. However, this is not today’s perspective, but the near future,” the expert said.
