European allies unwilling to establish ammunition production in Ukraine

Ukrainian authorities have expressed interest in having the Finnish-Norwegian defense company Nammo initiate ammunition production in Ukraine. However, Björn Andersson, the Director of Business Development at Nammo, has raised doubts about the willingness of Finland and Norway to undertake the associated risks, including sending their citizens to Ukraine for training Ukrainian personnel.

Andersson emphasized that launching ammunition production in Ukraine could become a top priority for the Russian armed forces. Despite several meetings between Ukrainian ministers and representatives of Nammo, concerns remain about the feasibility of sending specialists for training and whether the Finnish and Norwegian governments would be willing to own a facility that could become a primary target for Russian forces. It is noted that last autumn, Sweden, Norway and Denmark collaborated to purchase artillery ammunition for Ukraine, facilitated by a framework agreement between Norway and Nammo.

It’s worth recalling that Ukrainian authorities previously stated that there is no point in opening any military production on Ukrainian territory, as Russian missile attacks can destroy any facility across the entire country. Meanwhile, the available air defense systems are insufficient to protect even the most critical facilities and the front line.