Brussels – Industrial partnership for defence and a bilateral agreement on drones: the European Union and Ukraine sign new agreements that strengthen ties and Kiev’s integration into the single defence market. The initiatives will enable Ukrainian and European companies to accelerate the development of defence capabilities, strengthen joint industrial production, and collaborate on defence research and development through EU-funded programmes.
Brussels and Kyiv have agreed to promote the joint production of drones and anti-drone systems between Ukraine and EU Member States by the end of 2026. In this regard, the European Commission explains, the new industrial partnership for defence aims to “rapidly increase the production and deployment of battle-proven capabilities to counter drones and missiles,” while at the same time providing the long-term predictability needed to bolster investment and expand defence industrial capacity in both Ukraine and the European Union. Specifically, particular attention will be given to protection against drones and short- and medium-range missiles, and the large-scale deployment of defence drone systems, “which can be stockpiled outside Ukrainian territory,” the Commission states.
“The defence industrial partnership integrates Ukraine’s defence economy in the same way that we integrate our markets: by removing barriers and harmonising our standards as quickly as possible, from defence procurement to the protection of intellectual property,” explains the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.
The EU-Ukraine agreement on drones, on the other hand, will combine European industrial capacity with Ukrainian expertise in innovation in this field. It is based on joint ventures between Ukrainian and European companies, to combine Ukraine’s battle-tested capabilities with Europe’s industrial strength and production capacity, fostering “targeted technology transfers” and investment in dual-use sectors across Ukraine. The agreement will accelerate the development and production of next-generation drones and anti-drone systems, providing Ukraine with the capabilities it needs today while strengthening Europe’s defence readiness for the future. Another instalment from the 90 billion package
The bilateral initiatives do not end there. Alongside the two industrial cooperation measures in the defence sector, the European Commission is writing another cheque for Kyiv under the
a 90-billion-euro aid package which the EU began making available at the end of June: the EU executive
has today (15 July) disbursed a further one billion euros to Ukraine for the purchase of drones, a military capability regarded in Brussels as “essential to enable Ukraine to resist Russia’s war of aggression.” But there is more to come. “On 30 June, we disbursed the first military aid package to Ukraine intended exclusively for drones. This amounts to €4 billion, and is the largest drone support package globally,” said von der Leyen at a press conference with President Volodymyr Zelensky, referring to the first tranche of €6 billion from the total €90 billion financial support loan to Kyiv. “Today I am pleased to announce a further allocation of one billion euros specifically for drones. But of course, there will be more, because we have just approved a €10-billion allocation plan for additional drones, missiles, and fighter aircraft. So, this is just the beginning,” concluded von der Leyen.
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