News item | 01-12-2025 | 16:47
The Netherlands and Ukraine today signed an agreement for the joint production of drones. Minister Ruben Brekelmans and his Ukrainian counterpart Denys Sjmyhal signed the document. That happened in Brussels and margin of the Defense Council.
The agreement takes a concrete step towards the joint production of drones in the Netherlands and Ukraine. Both countries are following up on agreements made in October.
Minister Brekelmans: “This signing is another important milestone in our industry cooperation with Ukraine. Drones play an elementary role in the current battlefield and for a modern armed forces. We can learn a lot from how the Ukrainians operate and innovate. In our country there are innovative companies that can develop and produce high-quality drones. This cooperation not only increases our production capacity, but also strengthens our joint security, resilience and innovation.”
Drones
Drones are an important priority in Dutch military support to Ukraine. Our country has contributed, among other things, to the so-called Drone Line Initiative. This has made many hundreds of thousands of drones available to Ukrainian soldiers at the front. These make a direct difference in the fight against Russian aggression.
Foreign Affairs and Defense Council
Today, Minister Brekelmans took part in the Defense Council in the Belgian capital. High on the agenda were support for Ukraine and European defense readiness. The European Commission’s white paper on this subject contains the measures necessary to strengthen defense in Europe.