Ursula von der Leyen and Volodymyr Zelenskyj agree on a drone deal.Image: keystone
July 15, 2026, 2:26 p.mJuly 15, 2026, 2:26 p.m
The EU and Ukraine are entering into a new partnership to jointly produce drones. As EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced during a visit to Kiev, it is about combining strengths.
The knowledge that Ukraine has acquired about the use of drones and anti-drone systems is truly unique, she said. Europe, on the other hand, has enormous technological and industrial capacities and has safe and secure production sites that could contribute to the expansion of manufacturing.
“The events here and in other parts of the world have shown us how important it is for our security to be able to provide operationally proven drone systems quickly and in large numbers,” she said, referring to the wars in Ukraine and Iran. The aim of the drone deal is to provide the necessary impetus to significantly increase investment and production. (sda/dpa)