Ukraine could lift arms-exports ban this year as would-be buyers line up

WARSAW, Poland — Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced he is working with the country’s defense minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, to lift the nation’s ban on exporting weapons, with numerous foreign militaries showing interest in Ukrainian unmanned systems, anti-drone solutions and other tech.

Local officials say they believe the remaining months of 2026 are a realistic timeframe for the first export contracts.

We have “discussed in detail with the Minister of Defense of Ukraine the launch of arms exports, specifically the regulatory steps intended to support our state’s agreements and weapons production,” Zelenskyy wrote in an April 29 social media post.

Ukraine’s arms makers have touted their products as having been successfully used in an intense land conflict not witnessed in Europe since World War 2. At the same time, the Ukrainian defense industry is required by law to deliver its entire output to the country’s armed forces.

Vadym Ivchenko, a Ukrainian lawmaker for the Batkivshchyna party, told Defense News a political consensus on the need to allow Ukraine’s defense industry to launch export sales has emerged across party lines.

“Meeting the needs of the defense forces as a top priority is a fundamental condition for all sides. Only after that can the sale of surplus be considered to attract investment,” Ivchenko said.

The lawmaker said that, as Ukraine’s president has already approved the so-called Drone Deals framework, Ukraine is now officially coordinating export details at the state level.

“Therefore, 2026 can be considered a realistic timeframe for launching the first contracts. Of course, delays are possible, but it is important to understand that this would lead to idle production capacity, which is an unacceptable luxury during wartime,” according to the politician.

Ivchenko said drones of various types are expected to become the Ukrainian defense industry’s flagship export products.

“From reconnaissance to strike systems, particularly those already tested in real combat conditions. In addition, Ukraine could offer missile systems and software solutions, including battlefield management technologies,” the lawmaker said. “Naval drones, software integrations, and other technological solutions are also highly likely. We may also offer our unique experience in countering modern navigation and communication systems, as well as various aviation components.”

Facing threats similar to those of Ukraine, the Gulf region’s officials have shown interest in the Ukrainian defense sector’s output, creating a momentum for its industry’s expansion across the Middle East.

“Many countries could potentially become buyers of Ukrainian products, especially those currently facing elevated security risks. In this regard, Gulf countries can be considered likely customers due to their strong interest in proven solutions,” Ivchenko said.

Jaroslaw Adamowski is the Poland correspondent for Defense News.

波兰华沙——乌克兰总统弗拉基米尔·泽连斯基宣布，他正与该国国防部长米哈伊洛·费多罗夫合作，解除该国对武器出口的禁令。许多外国军队对乌克兰的无人系统、反无人机解决方案和其他技术表现出了兴趣。

当地官员表示，他们认为 2026 年剩余的几个月是签订首批出口合同的现实时间范围。

泽连斯基在4月29日的社交媒体帖子中写道：“我们与乌克兰国防部长详细讨论了启动武器出口的问题，特别是旨在支持我国协议和武器生产的监管措施。”

乌克兰武器制造商宣称，他们的产品已成功应用于二战以来欧洲从未经历过的激烈陆地冲突中。与此同时，乌克兰法律规定，国防工业必须将其全部产量交付给该国武装部队。

乌克兰祖国党议员瓦迪姆·伊夫琴科告诉《防务新闻》，允许乌克兰国防工业开展出口销售的必要性已在各党派之间达成政治共识。

伊夫琴科表示：“满足国防部队的需求是各方的首要任务，也是基本条件。只有在此之后，才能考虑出售剩余物资以吸引投资。”

该议员表示，由于乌克兰总统已经批准了所谓的无人机交易框架，乌克兰现在正在国家层面正式协调出口细节。

“因此，2026年可以被认为是启动首批合同的现实时间框架。当然，延误是有可能的，但重要的是要明白，这将导致产能闲置，这在战时是不可接受的，”这位政治家表示。

伊夫琴科表示，各种类型的无人机有望成为乌克兰国防工业的旗舰出口产品。

“从侦察到打击系统，特别是那些已经在实战条件下测试过的系统。此外，乌克兰还可以提供导弹系统和软件解决方案，包括战场管理技术，”这位议员说。“海军无人机、软件集成和其他技术解决方案也极有可能提供。我们还可以提供我们在对抗现代导航和通信系统方面的独特经验，以及各种航空部件。”

面对与乌克兰类似的威胁，海湾地区的官员对乌克兰国防部门的产品表现出了兴趣，这为乌克兰国防部门在中东地区的扩张创造了动力。

伊夫琴科表示：“许多国家都有可能成为乌克兰产品的买家，尤其是那些目前面临较高安全风险的国家。在这方面，海湾国家由于对成熟解决方案的浓厚兴趣，可以被视为潜在客户。”

Jaroslaw Adamowski 是《防务新闻》驻波兰记者。