G7: Ukraine to manufacture long-range missiles under license

TT

Published 16.25

 

An American ATACMS missile during a test firing at the White Sands Missile Range in the US. Photo: John Hamilton/AP/TT

The G7 countries will grant licenses to companies in Ukraine to manufacture long-range missiles and air defense systems.

The announcement comes after the leaders of the G7 countries pledged renewed support for Ukraine in a joint statement.

“We are all producing too little right now, and this can be compensated for by granting licenses to companies that have this production capacity,” said German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in connection with the G7 meeting in Évian-les-Bains, France.

According to Merz, it is American companies, in particular, that will grant licenses to Ukrainian and European arms manufacturers.

The informal G7 (Group of Seven) consists of seven of the world's leading industrialized countries that are also considered democracies: France, Italy, Japan, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, and the United States.

Until 2014, Russia was also part of the group, which was then called the G8.