Tetiana Tyshchenko co-moderates a high-level closed meeting with the leadership of Ukraine’s Defence Procurement Agency
On 28 May 2025, Asters' Partner Tetiana Tyshchenko and Secretary-Treasurer of the U.S.-Ukraine Business Council (USUBC) co-moderated a strategic closed-door briefing on "Defence Procurement & Industry" hosted USUBC.
The keynote speaker was Arsen Zhumadilov, Director of Ukraine’s newly established Defence Procurement Agency (DPA) under the Ministry of Defence. He presented the Agency’s transformed mandate and modernised approach to defence procurement — one that is transparent, performance-driven and open to trusted international cooperation. He emphasised clear workflows, defined eligibility criteria, joint production formats, certification alignment with NATO standards and prioritization of battlefield-tested solutions.
The briefing brought together senior executives from leading U.S. and European defence companies and offered an exclusive opportunity for direct engagement with the new leadership of Ukraine’s defence procurement system.
During the discussion, Tetiana Tyshchenko addressed the topical issues for business, in particular the quality control mechanisms, reasons for disqualification and financial flexibility for suppliers. Of particular importance was the CMU's recent landmark decision to grant the Defence Production Agency the authority to directly finance logistics, customs clearance, brokerage and other related services — a fundamentally new tool in the Ukrainian defence procurement system.
Key discussion points included:
- DPA’s authority to directly finance logistics, brokerage, and customs services
- the shift from price-driven to performance-based and combat-relevant procurement
- certification pathways and mutual recognition mechanisms, including NATO alignment
- the integration of component and subsystem manufacturers into procurement pipelines
- mechanisms for quality assurance and in-field testing
- payment acceleration, regulatory clarity, and supplier support
The meeting reinforced Ukraine’s strategic pivot towards a resilient, accountable, and globally integrated defence economy fit for wartime and beyond.
