Ukraine and the European Commission have reached a pivotal agreement to boost joint drone production at a critical juncture in the ongoing war. In the presence of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the partnership agreement between the European Union and Ukraine was signed and officially announced by von der Leyen. “What we are signing today is our own drone agreement,” she declared in Kyiv, standing before Zelensky. “This agreement will bring together Ukrainian ingenuity and Europe’s industrial power,” the Commission President stated, without disclosing the financial value of the deal.
Von der Leyen: A unique combination
Von der Leyen praised Ukraine’s expertise in drone production. “We must exploit this together,” the Commission President said, elaborating: “The idea is to connect this battle-tested know-how and expertise with the EU’s vast technological and industrial capabilities. We have secure production facilities that can help scale up output. With this agreement, our message is clear: the time has come to invest in Ukraine, and that means investing in Europe and investing in our shared security.” “Ukraine is already manufacturing around 10 million drones annually, some of them long-range, and aims to double that production,” President Zelensky added alongside her.
Kyiv has already signed numerous drone agreements with countries such as Qatar and Saudi Arabia, amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Additional agreements are currently in preparation with Germany, Norway, Finland, and Canada.
