Ukraine and the Netherlands have reached an agreement on joint production of unmanned aerial vehicles by signing a corresponding memorandum. President Volodymyr Zelensky announced this, emphasizing that cooperation in the field of drones is one of the key areas of interaction between the countries.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Prospects for Bilateral Cooperation in the Field of Drones
During an official meeting with Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans, issues related to the development of joint drone production and the implementation of relevant initiatives were discussed. Zelensky stressed that involving Dutch partners will enhance the effectiveness of the Ukrainian defense industry amid ongoing aggression from the Russian Federation.
“During today’s meeting with Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans, we discussed the development of joint drone production and the implementation of the initiative and cooperation on this matter with the Netherlands,” the head of state stated.
Financial Support and Development of the Defense Industry
The Dutch Ministry of Defense has so far refrained from public comments regarding the signing of the memorandum. At the same time, President Zelensky expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister and the people of the Netherlands for providing Ukraine with financial assistance totaling 9 billion dollars since the beginning of the full-scale invasion by the Russian Federation.
In particular, Amsterdam allocated 600 million dollars as a contribution to the PURL initiative. This program allows for the purchase of weapons from the United States for Ukraine using funds from NATO countries, which stimulates the development of the state’s defense capabilities.
Recently, Zelensky, after negotiations with leaders of investment funds and representatives of business associations regarding the expansion of the capabilities of the Ukrainian defense industry, as well as the opening of export platforms for weapons, reported that by 2026, the potential for drone and missile production in Ukraine could reach 35 billion dollars.