Ukraine and US move closer to landmark Drone Deal – CBS News
Drone Industry
The governments of the United States and Ukraine have prepared a memorandum that is the first step toward a defense agreement that would allow Kyiv to export military technology to Washington and produce drones at joint ventures with US companies.
CBS News reported this, citing sources, Censor.NET reports.
More about the agreement
The draft was prepared by the US State Department and Ukraine’s Ambassador to the United States Olha Stefanishyna.
Ukrainian officials first proposed the idea of drone cooperation to the White House in August 2025, after President Donald Trump privately praised Operation Spiderweb.
Benefits of the agreement with the US
Drone cooperation with the United States, Ukrainian officials say, would be mutually beneficial: US funding would help both countries increase production volumes.
Ukraine expects the country’s defense production capacity to reach US$55 billion in 2026. To realise this potential, Ukraine will need more external funding, as Kyiv currently has funds to buy only about US$15 billion worth of weapons this year, said Yurii Sak, an adviser to Ukraine’s Ministry for Strategic Industries.
Several Ukrainian companies have already presented their technologies in the United States. In March, General Cherry, one of Ukraine’s largest drone manufacturers, signed an agreement to produce unmanned aerial vehicles in the United States together with US defense manufacturer Wilcox Industries.
- The Pentagon has also invited Ukrainian companies to take part in the Drone Dominance program, a US$1.1 billion project aimed at selecting drones for contracts with the US military.
However, the broader defense agreement, which could potentially bring more Ukrainian technologies to the United States, has faced political obstacles.
Ukrainian officials told CBS News they feel a "lack of support" for the drone agreement from senior officials at the Defense Department and the White House, especially since the beginning of the war in Iran.
