Ukraine is scaling up defense cooperation with European partners and has signed three new agreements in the Drone Deal format — with Denmark, the Netherlands, and Estonia. The total number of signed security agreements on strategic partnerships in the field of unmanned technologies has reached nine.
The new arrangements were announced through statements from the Office of the President and Volodymyr Zelensky’s social media accounts following the Ukrainian leader’s meetings with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten, and Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal during the NATO summit in Ankara. In addition, Ukraine is actively negotiating the launch of similar defense cooperation formats with Germany and Norway.
The Drone Deal format is a comprehensive tool for integrating Ukraine’s defense technology sector into the European security infrastructure. The agreement combines direct security assistance, financing for joint drone production in Ukraine, localization of foreign technologies, cyber cooperation, and protection of critical infrastructure. For Ukrainian developers, this format provides a legal pathway to new export markets through state mechanisms of partner countries.
Denmark is one of Ukraine’s key partners in scaling up drone production. Previously, the countries launched the "Danish model" of direct financing for Ukrainian manufacturers, and the new agreement expands this cooperation.
"It was with Denmark that we began joint production in Ukraine within the framework of the Danish model, and it is absolutely fair that Denmark will now have access to Ukrainian arms exports that have been tested by war," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
A similar agreement was also signed with the Netherlands. It is expected to accelerate the exchange of engineering expertise between developers from both countries and ensure a more systematic approach to the procurement and supply of advanced military technologies.
"There will be even more opportunities for joint production and technology development, and most importantly — a systematic exchange of expertise and arms exports," Zelensky commented on the results of his meeting with Rob Jetten.
The third country to formalize a Drone Deal partnership during the Ankara summit was Estonia. The agreement with Tallinn provides for the development of joint military production in both countries, including important systems for air defense.
"This agreement is not only a path toward faster cooperation between our countries. It is also a step and a signal of trust, because we are signing such an agreement with a very close friend, and this is of enormous importance," Zelenskyy said after signing the agreement with Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal.
At the same time, the Ukrainian side held negotiations on a future Drone Deal with Norway during a meeting with Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, as well as discussions on the details of a future agreement with Germany and Chancellor Friedrich Merz. An important topic in talks with Berlin and Copenhagen remains drone financing and the integration of efforts to create a joint European system to counter ballistic threats, as well as the procurement of Patriot air defense interceptor missiles under the PURL program. This is critical for protecting Ukrainian airspace, as Russia continues to rely on brutal missile strikes.
Currently, Ukraine is conducting negotiations on concluding Drone Deal agreements with around 20 more countries worldwide.
