Ukraine and US preparing new defense agreement under Drone Deal - CBS News
Illustrative photo: Armed Forces of Ukraine (Getty Images)
Ukraine and the US prepare a memorandum
Ukraine and the United States have prepared a memorandum outlining the terms of a potential defense agreement between the two countries.
The document was approved by the US State Department and Ukraine’s Ambassador to the United States, Olha Stefanishyna.
The memorandum is being described as the first step toward a Drone Deal — large-scale cooperation in the field of drones and military technologies.
It concerns the possible export of Ukrainian defense developments to the United States, as well as the creation of joint ventures with American companies for drone production.
Ukraine expands defense cooperation
In recent months, Ukraine has already signed defense agreements with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.
According to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, nearly 20 countries are currently participating in negotiations on security cooperation.
The president noted that four agreements have already been signed, while the first contracts under them are now being prepared.
US shows interest in Ukrainian technologies
The idea of cooperation in the drone sector was first proposed by the Ukrainian side to Washington in the summer of 2025, following Operation Spiderweb.
At that time, Ukrainian drones struck Russian military targets far behind the front line.
Ukrainian manufacturers are also actively entering the US market. In particular, the company General Cherry signed an agreement to produce drones in the United States jointly with the American firm Wilcox Industries.
In addition, the Pentagon invited Ukrainian companies to participate in the Dominance of Drones program worth $1.1 billion, aimed at developing drone technologies for the US military.
What obstacles remain
According to CBS News, negotiations on the Drone Deal were accompanied by political difficulties.
In Kyiv, there were concerns about insufficient support for the initiative from the American side. It was also noted that the export of defense products is possible only if Ukrainian companies’ intellectual property is protected and sufficient weapons are retained for the country’s needs during the war.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv is working to expand the Drone Deal program and is discussing new areas of cooperation in security and drone technologies.
Ukraine and Italy are discussing the possibility of an agreement within the Drone Deal initiative. The Italian side has already shown interest in cooperation in the field of drone technologies and joint defense projects.
