Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with defense contractors during his visit to Washington, DC, this week, amid a bid for $61 billion in U.S. taxpayer support for Ukraine, according to a video he posted on social media.
Zelensky said Ukraine was prepared to produce more ammunition and military vehicles, but it required support. He posted on X:
I met with leaders of US defense companies and expressed my gratitude to every American worker who manufactures weapons that help us safeguard our people and defend our land.
I appreciated all American companies that attended last week’s US-Ukraine defense industry conference.
I also proposed establishing a European defense hub in Ukraine. We are prepared to make all essential decisions, cut red tape, and allocate orders.
We are ready to produce more ammunition and military vehicles, but we require support. It is important to develop joint production of artillery ammo, air defense systems, and artillery and missile systems.
Together, we can create more jobs, generate more strength, and provide more opportunities for both of our nations.
Провів зустріч із керівниками оборонних компаній США та висловив подяку кожному американському робітнику, який виробляє зброю, що допомагає нам захистити наш народ і нашу землю.
Вдячний усім американським компаніям, які взяли участь в американсько-українській конференції… pic.twitter.com/ttiCWBqx6h
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) December 11, 2023
He also posted a video showing snippets of the meetings as well as the attendees. The video showed that among the attendees were Stephen O’Bryan, corporate vice president and chief financial officer for Northrop Grumman Corporation, and Fatih Ozmen, the Turkish-American co-owner and CEO of Sierra Nevada Corporation.
U.S. defense contractors and Ukraine have had a cozy relationship since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
In December 2022, U.S. defense contractors — who stand to gain billions from the ongoing war in Ukraine — sponsored a party in D.C. for the Ukrainian armed forces at the Ukrainian embassy. The contractors who sponsored the party was Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, Pratt & Whitney, and Lockheed Martin.
Some experts said at the time they thought the move was brazen.
“It’s really bizarre to me that they would put that on an invitation,” a think-tank expert told Vox, who first reported on the party. An academic also told the outlet, “The fact that they don’t feel sheepish about it, that’s interesting.” Vox reported:
The invitation is a clear expression of how the war in Ukraine has been good for business. As Ukraine fights a defensive war against Russia’s brutal invasion, Ukrainians in Washington have been pushing for the US to send Ukraine more weapons. So far, President Joe Biden’s administration has committed a substantial $19.3 billion of military assistance since February.
After that party, in January 2023, Congress passed $113 billion in aid to Ukraine. The four companies sponsoring the party produce missile defense systems and anti-tank missiles that the Biden administration has poured into Ukraine since Russia invaded in February 2022.
In June 2023, more than 50 experts — about half of whom are tied to the defense industry — published a letter urging more U.S. weapons for Ukraine, as reported by Breitbart News.
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