Jun. 17 — The leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) countries agreed to explore the possibility of giving Ukraine licenses to produce interceptor missiles. They also agreed to increase the supply of air defense systems for Ukraine, said a joint statement by G7 leaders.

The G7 is a political and economic forum comprising Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The European Union is also a member of the G7, but it has no right to host or chair a summit. 

After one of the Russian massive attacks on Kyiv on May 24, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian President, warned of a critical shortage of air defense systems in Ukraine, including ballistic interceptor missiles, in a letter to Donald Trump, the US President.

On Jun. 16, during the G7 summit, Zelenskyy met with Trump and asked  him to grant Ukraine licenses to produce American anti-ballistic systems and interceptor missiles, including Patriot air defense systems, reported the Ukrainian media, European Pravda.

“Our teams will work. I hope, this time, we will get licenses to produce ballistic interceptor systems and missiles,” said Zelenskyy.

The G7 leaders confirmed their support for Ukraine in a statement, following Russia’s systematic attacks on critical infrastructure and cultural heritage sites. They also noted Ukraine’s resilience and the successes of its defense forces on the battlefield over the past few months.

The leaders agreed to provide support to strengthen Ukraine’s energy stability before the coming winter. The G7 also promised to increase pressure on Russia’s war economy by expanding sanctions against the Russian oil and gas sectors.

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