President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the nation, speaking about the first Defense Industry Forum and the necessity for our country to become a donor of global security.

"I wish health, dear Ukrainians!

Today we can already assess the main outcome of this week for our 'defense industry'. A truly new stage in the development of Ukraine's defense industry has begun.

The first Defense Industry Forum took place. Very successful. And it confirmed global interest in the possibility of working in and with Ukraine in arms production and everything necessary for the real protection of any free nation.

Our new format with defense companies—the Defense Industries Alliance—by this evening already has 38 participating companies. They represent 19 countries around the world. This includes the United States, Great Britain, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, Canada, Bulgaria, Australia, Belgium, our Baltic friends—Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia—as well as Czech Republic, North Macedonia, Slovakia, Spain, Croatia, and Finland. For a start, this is very strong, and the work continues. More companies will join.

Plus, our manufacturers signed 20 documents with partner companies at the forum. Agreements, memorandums. Each such document becomes later new production or strengthening of existing cooperation.

These are agreements on joint production, this is technology exchange, this is supply of components. Production of gunpowder, production of ammunition. This is personnel training for our 'defense industry'. Separately and very carefully we are developing Ukrainian drone manufacturing, ground and marine autonomous systems.

Overall, in our Defense Industry Forum—this is only the first such forum—over 250 companies participated. Among them—are dozens of Ukrainian companies.

We are also working on producing such necessary for us anti-aircraft systems—in fact, strong ones.

When in time we will see and feel the maximum military power of Ukraine—our manufacturers, our defense industry, our new cooperation with the world—we will be able to say that this was laid down precisely now, precisely in such agreements as at the forum and during my visits, including to America, Sweden, and other countries. All the strongest are already cooperating or will cooperate with Ukraine.

Our country will become one of the key global producers of weapons and defense systems. And this is no longer just an ambition or a prospect, but potential that has begun to be realized. I thank everyone whose work—these results for Ukraine!

Now—and we must speak openly about it—we are recipients, receivers of security aid. But our country can and will become a donor of global security. Especially—thanks to our defense industry. Thanks to the strength, resilience, and unbreakability of our people.

Tomorrow—a very important day for Ukraine, for all our people. Defender's Day. Millions who not only preserved Ukraine's honorable place in human history but also make it so that our nation and state do not lose their history, fight for their lives and freedom, and inspire the whole free world with their struggle.

Tomorrow we will especially thank all of our defenders. Tomorrow we will especially honor the memory of those who gave their lives for Ukraine.

For the first time this day—Feast of the Intercession—will be on October 1st. And let's make a new tradition for this day.

October 1st. Nine in the morning. Wherever you are—on your city’s main street or simply at home—let's pause for a moment and honor our fallen defenders with silence, think about those who are now in battle, on combat missions, on duty. Who saves lives. Who protects—in all senses of this word—our people and state.

There would be no strength or will of Ukraine without everyone who stood to defend it.

Thank you. Honor. Remember. All together.

Glory to Ukraine!"