Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Finnish President Alexander Stubb signed a “Drone Deal” in New York on Wednesday, paving the way for joint production of defence equipment.
Stubb announced the agreement on X, while the Finnish government also confirmed the deal.
Finland and Ukraine signed an agreement on enhanced defence and security cooperation, known as the Drone Deal, which creates a framework for cooperation between the two countries in the field of defence materiel.
According to the Finnish government, the agreement was proposed by President Zelensky during a meeting with Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo in Armenia in early May. Negotiations on the document continued throughout the summer and into early autumn.
“Ukraine has developed its own defence capabilities and defence industry in such a way that we in Finland have much to learn from it. The agreement signed now is not only a way to support Ukraine’s defence, but also a concrete step forward in developing our own defence industry and armed forces so that we can prepare for the new conditions of warfare, which have become increasingly technology-driven,” Orpo said.
The agreement aims to deepen defence and security cooperation between Finland and Ukraine while strengthening the defence capabilities of both countries, industrial cooperation and technological development.
Among other things, the agreement provides for the exchange of technology and information, cooperation in research, development and innovation, as well as joint industrial production projects, including the development of unmanned aerial vehicle technologies.
The agreement also aims to simplify administrative procedures, including export permits, to make the transfer of defence materiel and technologies between the two countries as efficient as possible.
