MOSCOW, December 12. /TASS/. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky proposed to create a European defense center in the country at a meeting with the heads of American defense companies in the US.

"I also proposed establishing a European defense hub in Ukraine. We are prepared to make all essential decisions, cut red tape, and allocate orders," he wrote on X (formerly Twitter). The president believes it is important to develop joint production for artillery ammunition, air defense systems, artillery and missile systems.

Mikhail Podolyak, an adviser to the head of the Ukrainian presidential office, said that Ukraine is not capable of independently increasing weapons production to match Russia’s. Meanwhile, Ukrainian Minister of Strategic Industries Alexander Kamyshin voiced the opinion that it would take at least two years to launch joint production of 155 mm caliber shells by Ukraine and the US, and that it would be impossible to get this going in 2024.