Ukraine and the European Union sign a historic “drones deal.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on Wednesday that the European Union and Ukraine have signed a historic “drone deal” to combine Kiev’s battlefield experience with European industrial capacity for joint production.“We need to combine our strengths,” von der Leyen said in a speech in Kiev. “This deal will combine Ukrainian ingenuity with European industrial scale.”The agreement, which is expected to provide up to €2 billion in new financing, represents the first EU-level defense partnership with Ukraine. Half of the funds will be allocated to expand joint production of drones and missiles, while up to one billion euros will be invested in Ukrainian defense companies to manufacture dual-use equipment.
UAV experience in Ukraine meets the European level
Von der Leyen said Ukraine’s knowledge of drones and anti-drone systems was “truly unique,” adding: “We must leverage this together. Because we know the threats Europe faces in this region — we have seen incursions and alerts across many member states.”The agreement obliges Brussels and Kiev to launch joint production of drones and anti-drone systems “in the shortest possible time” this year. For the first time since the start of the Russian invasion, Ukraine can store some of its drones on European Union territory, away from the range of Russian attacks.
A broader “missile deal” has also been proposed, which could allow joint production of missiles, including the Ukrainian Fryga interceptor, as early as 2028.The agreement comes as Russian attacks continue. Night raids on Kiev reportedly caused fires in two warehouses, with windows smashed in a school and a hole found outside the building. In the eastern Kharkiv region, 11 people, including an 11-year-old child, were injured in drone attacks and artillery shelling.
European defense transformation
The agreement comes after Ukraine and nine European countries on Monday launched a joint air defense program to build a “joint ballistic missile defense capability for Europe.” President Volodymyr Zelensky said stronger air defense could bring the end of the war closer.He added: “The more means Ukraine has to shoot down Russian ballistic missiles, the greater the chance that Putin will come to the negotiating table.”
