President signs law on arms purchase abroad without intermediaries

The document will allow the Ukrainian Defense Ministry and the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces to procure abroad what NATO's partners are ready to supply to Ukraine. "The armed forces have been waiting for this, the government has supported this, and the Verkhovna Rada has taken a decisive step," Poroshenko said.

The adoption of the law will expand the capabilities of state customers for defense orders, reduce costs for the procurement of imported products, works and services for military purposes, the presidential press service added.

The law allows state customers for the state defense order to directly procure imported products, works and services for military purposes in order to optimize this process and speed up import procurement procedures if needed, as well as to save money due to the absence of payment for mediation services.

The document also improves the legal settlement of issues related to offset agreements.

The law states that state customers for defense orders are subjects of foreign economic activity and subjects of international transfers of goods.

The law also introduces amendments to the laws of Ukraine on the state defense order, on state control over international transfers of military and dual-use goods, on foreign economic activity and to the Economic Code of Ukraine.

On January 17, the Verkhovna Rada adopted the law introducing amendments to certain legislative acts of Ukraine concerning the procurement of imported products, works and services for military purposes.