G7 to license Ukraine for long-range missile and air defense production

The Group of Seven (G7) nations will authorize companies in Ukraine to manufacture long-range missiles and air defense systems under license. This move is intended to bolster Ukraine's own defense production capabilities.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that the G7 countries are currently producing insufficient quantities of defense equipment. He suggested that granting licenses to Ukrainian and European manufacturers with existing production capacity could help address this shortfall. Merz specifically indicated that U.S. companies would be instrumental in providing these licenses to Ukrainian and European arms manufacturers.

The G7, an informal group of seven major industrialized democracies, includes France, Italy, Japan, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, and the United States. Russia was previously part of the group, known then as the G8, until 2014.

This decision underscores the G7's ongoing commitment to providing comprehensive and sustained support to Ukraine amidst its ongoing conflict.

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We are all producing too little right now, and that can be compensated by giving licenses to companies that have this production capacity.