Øyvind Andresen | Revolusjon | Norway | Apr. 2, 2026 | Translated for the Red Phoenix by Maurice B.–
For several years, Western countries have spent enormous sums of money supplying Ukraine with weapons, particularly drones and missiles. Now Ukraine plans to sell the same types of weapons back to its donors and make tens of billions of dollars in the process.
The Ukrainian online newspaper Kyiv Independent (February 8, 2026) reports that ten arms export centers are set to open in Europe this year:
Ukraine plans to export drones and missiles to at least 10 countries
According to Forsvarets Forum (February 20, 2026), Davyd Alojan, Deputy Secretary of the Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council, states that 40 different applications to export defense equipment have been submitted, and the majority of them were approved. These applications primarily concern drones and missiles. Alojan says the customers come from all over the world: Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, the Nordic countries, three countries in the Middle East, and at least one in Asia, according to Alojan. The countries that provide the most support to Ukraine are given priority. According to a report in the Kyiv Independent (March 15, 2026), Japan, among others, wishes to purchase Ukrainian drones.
Norway is providing Ukraine 12 billion NOK for drones this year
According to Regjeringen.no (February 28, 2026), the government plans to provide over 12 billion kroner in aid to Ukraine in 2026 for the procurement of drones and autonomous systems. “We are in close dialogue with Ukrainian authorities about how best to target Norway’s support for Ukraine, and drones have been identified as a top priority by Ukraine in its fight to defend itself against Russian attacks,” said Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre during his recent visit to Kyiv.
The government and a unanimous Storting must explain how this priority can be reconciled with Ukraine earning tens of billions from exporting drones and missiles. There is simply no logical connection in this policy.
By 2026, Norway will provide a total of 70 billion kroner in military aid to Ukraine. This amounts to an expenditure of approximately 50,000 kroner for a Norwegian family of four.
Previously, Forsvarets Forum (November 4, 2025) reported that Ukraine is opening offices for arms exports in Copenhagen and Berlin. Whether they will also open one in Norway is currently unknown. Last summer, NRK reported that Zelenskyy intends to enter into agreements with Norway, among others, regarding joint weapons production. The same applies to Denmark, Germany, the United Kingdom, Lithuania, and Canada.
Arms cooperation with Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates
Ukraine has fully aligned itself with the U.S. and Israel’s war against Iran. Relations between Israel and Ukraine are particularly close. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar visited Kyiv on July 22 and 23, 2025. During the meetings, Sa’ar and Zelenskyy discussed bilateral cooperation, particularly in the areas of economy and defense, as well as opportunities for joint weapons production:
Ukraine has fully aligned itself with the U.S. and Israel’s war against Iran
Ukraine has fully aligned itself with the U.S. and Israel’s war against Iran. In connection with the latest war against Iran, which began on February 28, 2026, the Kyiv Independent (March 10, 2026) reported that a Saudi Arabian arms company has signed an agreement to purchase Ukrainian-made interceptor missiles. Two sources within the Ukrainian defense industry, who requested anonymity to discuss non-public negotiations, told the Kyiv Independent that major contracts were under discussion between the governments of Ukraine and Saudi Arabia. One of the sources told the Kyiv Independent that they expect a “major deal” between Saudi Arabia and Ukraine as early as March 11.
Earlier this year, the Emirati defense conglomerate Edge signed an agreement to purchase a 30% stake in the Ukrainian weapons company Fire Point for $760 million. In 2025, Fire Point had unveiled its FP-5 “Flamingo” for the first time at a defense conference in Abu Dhabi organized by a British-Emirati firm called Milanion, writes the Kyiv Independent.
The Norwegian government, together with Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, has entered into a “partnership” with Fire Points that is likely being financed with large sums of money from Norwegian taxpayers. As I have written previously, Fire Points is under investigation for corruption by the Ukrainian anti-corruption agency NABU.
Fire Points is a corporation valued at over $2.5 billion, or well over 20 billion Norwegian kroner. This company is being subsidized by Norwegian taxpayers with large sums of money while unknown shareholders rake in their profits.
Conclusion
The fact that Ukraine is now set to earn billions from arms exports completely contradicts what we are being told by politicians here at home—that the country has an urgent need for military support to fight its “struggle for freedom.” At the same time, the integration between the European and Ukrainian arms industries is a sign that what is called the “struggle for freedom” is about something other than securing Ukraine’s sovereignty. Many will ask themselves: What is this really about?
At the same time, the specter of corruption hangs over everything. There is no sector in the world more corrupt than the arms industry because secrecy is defended in the name of security. There are few countries in Europe more corrupt than Ukraine. Nor is there any sector where there are larger sums to embezzle.
Some will argue that arms exports will strengthen Ukraine’s public finances. But no one has any idea whose pockets this revenue will end up in.
Sources
In this article, I have used The Kyiv Independent as my primary source. This is an English-language Ukrainian newspaper that is highly critical of Russia. (Check out their website.) The other sources are NRK, Forsvarets Forum, and the government’s website. Last time I checked, none of these sources were particularly sympathetic toward Putin either.This text was previously published on andresensblogg.no and as an op-ed in Fædrelandsvennen.
Categories: International, Ukraine