Ukraine’s Minister of Defence Denys Shmyhal delivered an online address at the 2025 Aspen Security Forum: DC Edition, held in Washington.

He reported this on social media.

During his speech, the Minister of Defence emphasized that it is crucial for Europe to take responsibility for its own security today. And the fastest way to strengthen European security is to support Ukraine.

The head of the defence ministry outlined two key prerequisites for achieving true peace:

  • a strong Ukrainian army and defence industry;

  • security guarantees, and the main such guarantee is Ukraine’s Defence Forces. We need stable funding, modern weaponry, and integration into the European security system.

The minister also stated that Ukraine, for its part, is ready to share with Europe the innovations that have proven effective on the battlefield:

  • Ukraine has reached a production capacity of nearly 20 million drones per year.

  • Ukraine is a leader in the use of AI on the battlefield. We were the first in the world to scale up the production and combat use of ground robots, and in 2025 we are procuring 15,000 such systems.

  • In parallel, Ukraine is implementing a missile programme. Our plans include producing 30,000 long-range drones and 3,000 cruise missiles.

“We are building a unique ecosystem capable of protecting Ukraine and Europe. The most logical source of funding for this process is Russia’s frozen assets. The aggressor must pay for its aggression”, — the statement reads.

“I am grateful to all our partners for their constructive efforts to end the war. We continue moving toward our shared goal — a strong Ukraine and lasting, just peace in Europe”, — Denys Shmyhal concluded.