Zelensky pushing for establishment of European defence industry

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, speaking on Thursday against a backdrop of partially halted US arms deliveries to Ukraine, called on the European Union to strengthen its own defence industry.

"We need to build up Europe’s own defence industry – so that Russia cannot outmatch us in any area," Zelensky said during a dinner marking Denmark's assumption of the EU Council presidency in Aarhus.

Arms deliveries to Ukraine, together with new stringent sanctions against Russia, are crucial for Europe's security, he said.

Zelensky stated that sanctions must be designed in such a way that Moscow no longer receives anything that can be used for weapons production.

Ukraine has been defending itself against a Russian invasion for more than three years with Western support. Despite unprecedented sanctions, Russia continues its war against its neighbour with unrelenting severity, controlling nearly one-fifth of Ukrainian territory, including the Crimean Peninsula, which was annexed in 2014.

With the potential withdrawal of US support, Kyiv risks losing its main arms supplier.