European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on Wednesday an agreement with Ukraine to purchase drones, aimed at boosting joint production of this battlefield-critical technology.
“This agreement will combine Ukrainian ingenuity with European industrial scale,” von der Leyen said in Kyiv after receiving an award from President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Ukraine has already signed similar deals with several EU countries and some Gulf states, seeking to leverage the expertise it has developed during more than four years of war with Russia.
These agreements are tailored to each partner, but typically involve Kyiv providing drone designs in exchange for royalties, investments and other military equipment.
“In Europe we already have vast technological and industrial capacity that can be deployed, and we have secure production sites that can help expand output,” von der Leyen said.
“But we lack the combat-proven knowledge and experience that Ukraine has built,” she added.
We can cooperate on joint production, ensure that all system components work together effectively, and provide both defense industrial bases with the boost needed to scale up investment and output decisively.
The EU is stepping up efforts to strengthen its drone capabilities following a series of incursions in countries along its eastern border, neighbors to Ukraine and Russia.
“The knowledge they have gained about how drone and anti-drone systems operate is truly unique,” von der Leyen told Zelensky in her remarks.
“We must harness it together, because we understand the threats Europe faces in this area.”
Von der Leyen did not provide details on any additional funding—if any—that was included in the agreement.
Europe is Ukraine’s main supporter in the war against Russia and recently began releasing a €90 billion loan (about $103 billion) to help Kyiv arm its forces and cover budget shortfalls.
An initial tranche of €6 billion from that loan will be used to boost drone production in Ukraine.
Drones dominate the battlefield in Ukraine, inflicting heavy losses on attacking Russian forces.
Kiev has also refined its ability to shoot down Russian attack drones targeting cities across the country.
In a speech, Zelensky said Ukraine currently produces 10 million drones a year and aims to double that output.
“We will achieve this together with our partners, once again demonstrating the success of Ukraine’s defense industry, our partners and Europe,” he added.
(With information from AFP)