EU and Ukraine Sign Drone Deal to Boost Joint Production and Expand to Missile Defense by 2028

According to Lianhe Zaobao citing Reuters, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on July 15 that the EU and Ukraine have reached a "drone agreement" aimed at combining Kyiv's expertise with the EU's industrial capacity to establish joint projects and scale up production. Speaking at a ceremony in Kyiv marking Ukraine's National Day, von der Leyen said the deal would merge Ukraine's innovative spirit with Europe's industrial scale. She noted that the EU can offer Ukraine "vast technological and industrial capacity" as well as "safe and reliable production bases." The agreement is the first of its kind to cover all EU member states and companies. The European Commission said the partnership will expand to cover anti-ballistic missile systems by 2028. The Commission added that it will work with 19 founding partners involved in the agreement, aiming to cut bureaucratic barriers and set common standards to facilitate joint ventures between Ukrainian and EU companies. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his address that Ukraine will do everything possible to integrate all of Europe's anti-ballistic missile capabilities and build a European anti-ballistic missile system. The deal reflects growing interest among European politicians and businesses in leveraging Ukraine's expertise gained during the war with Russia to bolster their own defenses against Moscow. Von der Leyen told Zelenskyy that Ukraine's knowledge in operating drones and anti-drone systems is unique, adding that Europe faces threats in this area and must jointly utilize that knowledge.