BERLIN: Germany’s defense industry says it stands ready to ramp up its output, including the kinds of arms and ammunition needed by Ukraine, but needs clarity about what governments want before investing in further production capacity.
Ukraine became the world’s third-largest importer of arms in 2022 after Russia’s invasion triggered a big flow of military aid to Kyiv from the United States and Europe, according to Swedish think tank SIPRI. Some of those arms were transferred from Western military stocks to Ukraine, while Kyiv also has purchased equipment with its own money or funds provided by allies. But the rate at which Ukraine is using ammunition has raised concerns about strains on the capacity of Western defense companies as they try to keep both the Ukrainian military and their own resupplied. –Agencies
