Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine Oleksandr Kozenko held a series of meetings with international partners during the Shangri-La Dialogue security forum.
Oleksandr Kozenko held negotiations with the State Secretary of the Ministry of National Defense of Poland, Paweł Zalewski; the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defense of Singapore, Melvin Ong; the Minister of Defense of New Zealand, Judith Collins; the Minister of Defense of the Philippines, Gilbert Teodoro; and the Secretary of the Department of Defense of Australia, Greg Moriarty. The Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine also met with representatives of leading international defense companies.
“The war of Russia against Ukraine has consequences for global security, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region. Therefore, it is important to unite to guarantee sustainable peace in Europe, Asia, and the world as a whole. Supporting Ukraine means supporting the global order,” Oleksandr Kozenko addressed the partners.
One of the main topics at all meetings was the development of the Ukrainian defense-industrial complex and cooperation with world leaders in the defense sector. Oleksandr Kozenko emphasized that the Ukrainian defense manufacturing sector has unique experience in scaling up, which can be useful for international defense holdings. In addition, he proposed that companies consider the possibility of creating joint ventures with Ukrainian companies.
Critical needs of Ukraine for protecting the population and infrastructure were also discussed with international partners, namely air defense systems of various ranges and missiles for them. With Polish colleagues, they discussed ways to strengthen aviation capabilities and the need for heavy armored vehicles. At the meeting with the Australian delegation, the Ukrainian side noted the effectiveness of Bushmaster armored vehicles and emphasized their need on the battlefield.
“Ukrainian experience in using foreign weapons brings adjustments to their use. The battlefield is the best testing ground, so by helping Ukraine, you test your weapons and equipment in real combat conditions,” Oleksandr Kozenko stressed.
He also called on countries that are not yet participants in the Capability Coalitions to join the work in a convenient format. According to him, the De-mining Coalition and the IT Coalition are good opportunities for a first step.
As a result of the meetings, international partners confirmed their understanding of the importance of cooperation despite geographic location and its impact on the global security order. Representatives from Asia and Oceania assured support for Ukraine and further steps to deepen cooperation.
