G7 countries to produce long-range missiles 'under licence' in Ukraine

U.S. President Donald Trump, third from right, meets with Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, France, Wednesday. AP-Yonhap

EVIAN, France — European G7 nations and the United States are to grant licences for Ukraine-based companies to produce long-range missiles and air defence systems, a diplomatic source said Wednesday, with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz confirming the move.

The announcement comes during a three-day G7 meeting in the French town of Evian of the leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States, who pledged to intensify pressure on Russia to end more than four years of war against Ukraine.

"We are going to produce under licence not only air defence systems, but also deep-strike capabilities," said the diplomatic source.

Merz confirmed the decision, telling reporters: "We are all currently producing too little, and this can be offset by granting licences to companies that have these production capabilities, including European and Ukrainian firms."

U.S. companies will, in particular, be able to grant licences for this purpose to European manufacturers, Merz said, adding he was "grateful" to U.S. President Donald Trump "for this great willingness to cooperate."

The decision follows an overnight G7 statement pledging to "increase the delivery of air defence capacities, additional systems and interceptors, and long-range capabilities" to Kyiv, and to consider licences to boost Ukraine's domestic military production.

Kyiv, facing massive Russian air strikes and shortages of air defence munitions, relies heavily on its Western allies to help counter missile barrages.

The war in the Middle East, which saw U.S. allies expend huge quantities of air defence ammunition protecting sites in the Gulf, has exacerbated a shortage in air defence munitions that Ukraine has faced since the start of the war.

A U.S.-Iran accord towards ending the conflict is set to be signed on Friday in Switzerland.