Ukraine eyes major drone deal with US, says Ukraine’s Prime Minister
Photo: Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko (Getty Images)
Ukraine and the US are preparing to sign a drone deal — a major agreement focused on the production and sale of unmanned aerial vehicles. The deal was discussed during a recent phone call between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US President Donald Trump, said Ukraine’s Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko during a press briefing on July 18.
"In addition to the agreement on creating an investment fund, we want to sign the drone deal that was announced by the President — a deal Zelenskyy discussed with Trump during their latest phone conversation. The US is considering purchasing a large batch of Ukrainian drones," Svyrydenko said.
On July 16, Zelenskyy said that Trump had expressed interest in Ukrainian drones and wants to put them into service with the US military. In return, Ukraine needs air defense systems. Therefore, both sides have an interest in weapons.
Keith Kellogg, Special Representative of the US President, who recently visited Ukraine, praised Ukrainian drones and even encouraged the American defense industry to take inspiration from Ukraine’s drone innovation.
Amid these developments, the United States organized a presentation of the LUCAS attack drone, a low-cost alternative to Iran’s Shahed-136 kamikaze drones. The drone was developed by the American company SpektreWorks. The event was attended by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.
