Ukraine able to produce long-range capabilities itself - General Petraeus

02.06.2023 12:50

Ukrinform

Amid the existing restriction on using Western weapons against targets on Russian soil, Ukraine is still capable of producing weapons that will deal with the issue of Russia launching ballistic missiles from its territory, terrorizing Ukrainian cities.

That’s according to General (Ret.) David Petraeus, former Commander of United States Central Command and ex-Director of the CIA, who spoke with Ukrinform during his visit to the American University Kyiv.

Asked what could be done to counter Russia’s adjusted tactics of massively striking Ukrainian cities with ballistic missiles in the light of the existing obligations not to use capabilities provided by Western partners against the Russian territory, including the missile launchers, General Petraeus noted that Ukraine is able to develop own weapons to do the job.

“There has never been a restriction on what Ukraine produces itself,” said Petraeus.

“I think that Ukraine will develop capabilities indigenously that will enable them over time to deal with that threat,” he noted.

General Petraeus believes it is not unreasonable at this point in time for Ukraine’s international partners to restrict the use of longer-range capabilities being provided to Kyiv. “We want our leaders to be prudent and cautious. We have seen some examples of what happens when they are not.”

At the same time, he admitted that there may be some “evolution in Western thinking” to this end.

Having spoken with innovators in Ukraine, the former CIA chief said he saw “extraordinary capability” and “capacity” in regard to manufacturing longer-range weapons domestically.

Speaking of the role of the coalition of Western democracies in addressing the threat of Russian ballistic strikes across Ukraine, General Petraeus said it’s “first and foremost” to continue to provide weapons to Ukraine to shoot those incoming missiles down.

David Petraeus also emphasized that the Patriot missile defense system shooting down a Russian Kinzhal hypersonic missile is the best advertisement for the system’s producer Raytheon it “could have possibly had.”

He recalled that under the current presidential administration, the U.S. has already provided over $38 billion in defense assistance to Ukraine, with “strong Congressional support.”