Ukraine and the European Union have signed an agreement to cooperate in drone production, aiming to combine Ukrainian expertise with European industrial capabilities to launch joint projects and increase production. This announcement was made on Wednesday by the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.
Von der Leyen made the announcement during her speech in Kyiv at a ceremony marking Ukraine’s Statehood Day. She stressed the importance of collaboration, stating: “We need to combine our strengths.” She added, “This agreement will merge Ukrainian ingenuity with Europe’s industrial scale.”
First agreement covering the entire EU
Ukraine has previously signed several similar agreements with individual countries. At last week’s NATO summit in Ankara, President Volodymyr Zelensky signed three additional agreements, bringing the total to nine. However, the agreement signed on Wednesday is the first to encompass countries and companies across the European Union.
Addressing Zelensky, von der Leyen remarked, “The knowledge you have gained about working with drone and anti-drone systems is truly unique.” She emphasized, “We must leverage this together,” as Europe faces increasing threats in this domain. “We have already seen airspace violations and air raid alerts in many EU member states,” she added.
Von der Leyen highlighted that the EU can provide Ukraine with “huge technological and industrial potential,” as well as “secure production facilities.”
Source: The Straits Times
