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SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Aerospace and Defense Association signed a memorandum of understanding with Ukraine on Thursday, opening up a symbiotic partnership that will boost the local economy while offering support in the Russia-Ukraine War.
Aaron Starks, president and CEO of the Utah Aerospace and Defense Association, said the memorandum is nonbinding but formalizes the relationship between Utah and Ukraine.
"This memorandum of understanding is an opportunity for us to say, over the course of our partnership, the Ministry for Strategic Industries is going to recognize and prioritize Utah companies wanting to do business within Ukraine," Starks explained. "And similarly, the Utah aerospace and defense industry recognizes this partnership and promises to prioritize the relationship and sell its technologies, products and services to Ukraine to win the war (and) begin rebuilding the country."
Oleksandr Kamyshin, minister for Strategic Industries of Ukraine, met with Starks at the Embassy of Ukraine in Washington, D.C., on Thursday to finalize and sign the agreement. This followed Utah defense organizations visiting Ukraine in May, where the two groups organized a list of services Utah could provide for Ukraine, from ambulances to artillery.
Kamyshin said he "will always remember" that Utah was the first U.S. state to visit Ukraine after the February 2022 invasion by Russia that marked the escalation of the Russia-Ukraine war.
"We highly value the commitment and support that Utah has shown our country," Kamyshin said, according to a statement from the Utah Aerospace and Defense Association. "We are excited to execute this MOU with Utah Aerospace and Defense because it will help us bring U.S. defense companies to Ukraine, expedite our victory in the war and begin rebuilding our nation."
The next steps in the partnership include sending another delegation of Utah aerospace and defense companies to meet with Ukraine later this year to plan future transactions.
Starks called the memorandum a "historic milestone" that sets the stage for future international partnerships.
"We're thinking beyond our borders," Starks said. "I think bilateral trade with our partners around the world is … the greatest way to sustain peace, and so lots of progress (has been) made this week."
The Utah Aerospace and Defense Association is spearheading the development of industries in Utah that include artificial intelligence, space exploration, cybersecurity and machine learning.
"The mission is to build the world's premier ecosystem for aerospace and defense companies here in Utah," Starks said. "We're advocating for anything that's going to keep our nation-state safe."
He added that aerospace and defense are major staples of the Utah economy, and he encourages Utahns to get involved in these fast-growing local industries.
"The more success we have in Ukraine and other markets around the world, and certainly domestically, the more this ecosystem is going to continue to develop and grow," Starks said.
Zelenskyy honors Utahn
Jonathan Freedman, president and CEO of World Trade Center Utah and honorary consul of Ukraine in Utah, was among those honored by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the National Archives in Washington, D.C., on Thursday.
Freedman said he never expected to receive the Order of Merit, a presidential award "given to individuals for outstanding achievements in economics, science, culture, military or political spheres of activity."
"I was really ecstatic, very honored and humbled," Freedman said. "I was totally surprised."
Freedman was among a group of Utah legislators and businessmen who traveled to Ukraine earlier this year as part of the first state delegation to visit Ukraine during the Russia-Ukraine war. He said despite the "heart-wrenching" nature of the war, it was "heartwarming" to see the way Ukraine has honored Utah through billboards of Utah's delicate arch, thanking Utahns in Ukrainian.
"Amid that devastation and the atrocities that we saw and we heard, we saw the best of humanity rise up," Freedman said. "That's what I'm most proud of."
Freedman said many Utah companies are hiring Ukrainian programmers and software engineers to bolster the Ukrainian economy. For those looking to support the war effort, he recommends donating* to the August Mission and To Ukraine With Love.
Contributing: KSL-TV and Doug Wilks, Deseret News
*KSL.com does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisers and otherwise proceed at your own risk.
