Ukraine and the EU sign a drone agreement as part of the defense partnership - von der Leyen
Kyiv • UNN
European Commission President von der Leyen announced a new EU-Ukraine partnership in the defense industry. The parties signed an agreement on drones, which will combine Ukrainian expertise and European industrial scale.
Ukraine and the EU sign a new "drone agreement" as part of the defense-industrial partnership. This was announced by European Commission President von der Leyen during a speech in Kyiv, reports UNN.
Every day, Ukraine makes Europe stronger. And that is why today I say: Ukraine has in many ways transformed from a buyer into a supplier of security for Europe. This also implies a new way of cooperation. And that is why I am glad, together with you, Volodymyr, to announce a new EU-Ukraine partnership in the defense industry. Today we are signing our own agreement on drones
The President of the European Commission added that in recent months Ukraine has concluded similar agreements with a number of countries, from Europe to the Middle East. This indicates interest in Ukraine's experience in combat operations.
Your knowledge of working with drones and counter-drone systems is truly unique. From drone technology and production to the supply chains needed to sustain capability. And, most importantly, knowledge of using radar systems, ground stations, or sensors. We must use this together. Because we know the threats Europe faces in this area – we have seen incursions and warnings in many member states. Events here and around the world have shown us the importance of our security and the ability to deploy battle-tested drone systems. On a large scale and quickly
According to her, Europe already has enormous technological and industrial potential that can be deployed. And there are safe and reliable production sites that can help scale up.
But we do not have the battle-tested knowledge and experience that Ukraine has accumulated. So I want to say that we need to join forces. Together we can work on joint production. On ensuring that all components of the system work. And we can give both defense-industrial bases the impetus needed to decisively ramp up investment and production. This agreement will combine Ukrainian ingenuity with Europe's industrial scale. And with this agreement, our message is clear: now is the time to invest in Ukraine. Because that means investing in Europe. And investing in our common security and our common future