Hetmantsev: Ukraine Can Export €30B in Weapons Annually With Legal Changes
Danylo Hetmantsev, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Finance, Taxation, and Customs Policy, has unveiled plans for new regulations that would open the door for Ukrainian weapons exports.
«To support our defense industry, we need to create a special legal and tax regime that our defense companies could use,» he said.
Why now?
Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine has effectively halted arms exports. While there’s no formal ban in place, defense manufacturers are still blocked from exporting freely.
Licenses that were valid in 2022 have been suspended. Today, to sell weapons abroad, companies must apply to the State Service for Export Control, which coordinates with intelligence agencies and the Defense Ministry. However, according to Serhii Riabov, head of the Department of Law Enforcement and Internal Export Control Systems, «applications are not approved because it is not in the state’s interest,» as Suspilne reported.
Despite these restrictions, Ukraine’s defense sector is resurging after decades of decline.
«Domestic production of military goods has increased from $1 billion in 2022 to more than $9 billion in 2024,» Hetmantsev noted.
While state orders have grown, they still fall short of the sector’s full capacity. Ukrainian manufacturers now face a bottleneck: they can produce at scale but have nowhere to sell.
That’s why Hetmantsev is pushing for a legislative shift to unlock exports. «Entering the international arms market means additional jobs, tax revenue, export earnings, and the development of our economy,» he said. «And our partners are ready to buy.»
Tapping into an €800 billion opportunity
Наразі країни світу переглядають власні оборонні доктрини та переозброюються. І видатки на придбання зброї зростають.
«The European Union has already approved the White Paper on European Defense – Readiness 2030, which calls on EU countries to spend around 3.5% of their GDP on defense,» Hetmantsev said. «The ReArm Europe plan has also been adopted, with €800 billion earmarked for rearmament.»
He added that the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) financial program is designed to offer preferential loans to arms manufacturers. «Our producers could potentially join the SAFE program. It’s an opportunity to attract low-cost financing and, through cooperation with European partners, gain access to the technologies we currently lack to produce higher-quality, more modern weapons,» he said.
If Ukraine seizes these opportunities, Hetmantsev believes the defense industry could grow from its current $9 billion annual output to €25–30 billion per year.
«Our goal is to ensure that domestic manufacturers, who are already capable of producing far more modern and high-tech weapons than the state orders, can take their rightful place on the global arms market,» he said.
- Hetmantsev emphasized that not all Ukrainian-made weapons would be exported. Restrictions will remain and should be designed by security experts, not politicians.
For context, Ukraine’s capabilities are growing fast: the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine recently unveiled the latest Magura maritime drones, which have destroyed over $500 million worth of enemy equipment.
Hetmantsev: Ukraine Can Export €30B in Weapons Annually With Legal Changes
Danylo Hetmantsev, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Finance, Taxation, and Customs Policy, has unveiled plans for new regulations that would open the door for Ukrainian weapons exports.
«To support our defense industry, we need to create a special legal and tax regime that our defense companies could use,» he said.
Why now?
Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine has effectively halted arms exports. While there’s no formal ban in place, defense manufacturers are still blocked from exporting freely.
Licenses that were valid in 2022 have been suspended. Today, to sell weapons abroad, companies must apply to the State Service for Export Control, which coordinates with intelligence agencies and the Defense Ministry. However, according to Serhii Riabov, head of the Department of Law Enforcement and Internal Export Control Systems, «applications are not approved because it is not in the state’s interest,» as Suspilne reported.
Despite these restrictions, Ukraine’s defense sector is resurging after decades of decline.
«Domestic production of military goods has increased from $1 billion in 2022 to more than $9 billion in 2024,» Hetmantsev noted.
While state orders have grown, they still fall short of the sector’s full capacity. Ukrainian manufacturers now face a bottleneck: they can produce at scale but have nowhere to sell.
That’s why Hetmantsev is pushing for a legislative shift to unlock exports. «Entering the international arms market means additional jobs, tax revenue, export earnings, and the development of our economy,» he said. «And our partners are ready to buy.»
Tapping into an €800 billion opportunity
Наразі країни світу переглядають власні оборонні доктрини та переозброюються. І видатки на придбання зброї зростають.
«The European Union has already approved the White Paper on European Defense – Readiness 2030, which calls on EU countries to spend around 3.5% of their GDP on defense,» Hetmantsev said. «The ReArm Europe plan has also been adopted, with €800 billion earmarked for rearmament.»
He added that the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) financial program is designed to offer preferential loans to arms manufacturers. «Our producers could potentially join the SAFE program. It’s an opportunity to attract low-cost financing and, through cooperation with European partners, gain access to the technologies we currently lack to produce higher-quality, more modern weapons,» he said.
If Ukraine seizes these opportunities, Hetmantsev believes the defense industry could grow from its current $9 billion annual output to €25–30 billion per year.
«Our goal is to ensure that domestic manufacturers, who are already capable of producing far more modern and high-tech weapons than the state orders, can take their rightful place on the global arms market,» he said.
- Hetmantsev emphasized that not all Ukrainian-made weapons would be exported. Restrictions will remain and should be designed by security experts, not politicians.
For context, Ukraine’s capabilities are growing fast: the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine recently unveiled the latest Magura maritime drones, which have destroyed over $500 million worth of enemy equipment.
