KYIV. Oct 9 (Interfax) - Ukrainian Defense Minister Valeriy Heletey is opposed to exports of Ukrainian arms and weaponry under the conditions of hostilities in the country's southeast.
Asked by reporters about contracts under which Ukraine should deliver military hardware to Nigeria he said at a Wednesday press conference in Kyiv: "The contract was signed by a company that has nothing to do with the Defense Ministry of Ukraine."
He also thought it proper that companies operating in the defense industry sector would be subordinate to the Defense Minister "so that they would be working for our army."
Heletey noted that the contracts on weapons deliveries to Nigeria were signed during the presidency of Viktor Yanukovych in 2012-2013.
"Money has been paid to Ukraine under the contacts which means that Ukraine must deliver this weaponry to Nigeria," he said.
If Ukraine defaults, it will be penalized, he said.
"In times of war it is absurd to sell weaponry. I realize that the penalties will be enormous. But that is already another matter. Let's end the war first and sort things out later," he said.