Ukraine and Lithuania have concluded a bilateral agreement under the Drone Deal framework, which provides the supply of drones, joint technological solutions and the integration of Ukrainian expertise into the European security system. The President announced this on his official page.
“A Ukrainian military expert team will work in Lithuania to build the necessary security capabilities. First and foremost, to protect against modern threats and strengthen the security of our states and the entire region. We face common challenges, and we must overcome them together,” Zelenskyy explained.
He later stated that the Ukrainian side is also working on similar agreements with Finland and Latvia. The Ukrainian President additionally proposed the Drone Deal format to the President of Romania, Nicușor Dan.
According to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the parties also discussed Ukraine’s European integration with the presidents of the aforementioned countries.
“There is now a necessary window of opportunity to open all six negotiation clusters,” he noted.
Earlier, Defender Media, citing sources at CBS News, reported that Ukraine is preparing a Drone Deal agreement with the United States.
Zelenskyy also announced the start of preparations for a similar agreement with Canada, describing it as an important expansion of the security partnership.
In total, according to Zelenskyy, 20 countries are currently cooperating with Ukraine on this issue at various levels.
The Drone Deal is a format for intergovernmental agreements in the field of drones and defence systems, which first became public on 28 April when Zelenskyy stated that the export of Ukrainian weapons “will become a reality”. Agreements are already being developed with countries in the Middle East, the Persian Gulf, Europe and the Caucasus.
The initiative involves not only the sale of finished products, but also long-term partnerships, including joint production in partner countries, the transfer of combat experience and specialist training.