NATO will allow Ukraine to purchase weapons, ammunition and military equipment through its centralised procurement agency. This could potentially enable Kyiv to obtain defence resources faster and at lower cost, the Financial Times reports.
It is noted that Ukraine is beginning cooperation with the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA). This will bring Ukraine’s defence industry closer to its Western allies and provide Kyiv with an additional procurement channel, rather than relying solely on bilateral negotiations.
According to NSPA Director of Operational Support Jacqueline Borsboom, this gives Ukraine the opportunity to use a more structured system to draw on a wide range of the agency’s capabilities: procurement expertise, support services and access to an established industrial base.
“This will make it possible to save money thanks to economies of scale,” she added.
For example, Borsboom said, Ukraine will be able to approach the agency with a request such as: “We need 30,000 sets of military uniforms. Please arrange their procurement for us.”
Head of Ukraine’s Mission to NATO Alona Hetmanchuk said she hopes the new partnership will become an “important gateway” for Ukraine into NATO’s defence-industrial ecosystem, and will also provide broader access to contracts managed by the procurement agency.
The announcement of the new procurement mechanism builds on a decision taken by the alliance in April that allowed Ukrainian defence companies to take part in tenders to supply products for the NSPA. This opened up potentially lucrative business opportunities for Ukraine’s rapidly expanding defence industry.
According to the publication, last week the NSPA organised an industry event in Kyiv attended by around 150 Ukrainian companies. During the meeting, manufacturers were told how to register as potential suppliers and take part in tenders.
Following Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, Ukrainian companies rapidly increased production of drones and other military technologies. They are developing weapons and systems that are attracting growing interest from European governments looking to modernise their own armed forces.
“Their innovations are developing so quickly now that we have a lot to learn from them. This is certainly beneficial for both sides,” Borsboom noted.
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The Ukraine–NATO Joint Analysis, Training and Education Centre (JATEC) presented two artificial intelligence-based developments that can predict enemy drone attacks and help plan Ukraine’s own artillery operations.