Ukraine and US move toward landmark drone defense deal as Iran war highlights capabilities, and needs

Kyiv — The governments of the US and Ukraine have drafted a memorandum outlining the phrases of a possible new defense deal between the international locations, in keeping with three sources conversant in the matter.

The draft hashed out by the US State Department and Ukrainian Ambassador to the US Olha Stefanishyna is a primary step toward a defense settlement that will permit Ukraine to export army expertise to the US and to fabricate drones in joint ventures with American firms.

During the war in Iran, Ukraine has capitalized on innovations solid by the nation’s army and contractor defenses over greater than 4 years of grueling battle with Russia. Kyiv has sent drone interceptors and pilots to the Middle East to assist US allies defend towards the identical kinds of Iranian-designed Shahed drones that Russia has used to attack Ukraine’s towns and cities.

Already, over the past two months, Ukraine has signed defense agreements with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, and Ukrainian officers say extra offers are within the works.

“Nearly 20 countries are currently involved at various stages: 4 agreements have already been signed, and the first contracts under these agreements are now being prepared,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Telegram.

Ukrainian officers first pitched the thought of ​​cooperation on drones to the White House in August 2025, after President Trump privately praised Operation Spiderweba daring Ukrainian drone assault deep behind Russian strains. The operation noticed Ukrainian pilots remotely information explosive drones — deployed from inconspicuous vans that had been smuggled into Russia — to destroy dozens of Russian warplanes as they sat parked on tarmacs across the nation.

Filling gaps in budgets and manufacturing capacities

Drone collaboration with the US, Ukrainian officers advised CBS News, could be mutually helpful, as American financing would assist each international locations increase their defense manufacturing output.

Ukraine’s National Security Council projects a defense manufacturing capability of $55 billion in 2026. To understand that capability, Ukraine will want way more exterior financing as Kyiv presently solely has funds to purchase round $15 billion price of weapons this yr, in keeping with Yuriy Sak, an adviser to Ukraine’s Ministry of Strategic Industries.

Ukraine additionally excels in manufacturing weapons methods the US has not beforehand prioritized. One Ukrainian producer plans to produces greater than 3 million low-cost first-person-view army drones in 2026. The US constructed solely 300,000 in 2025, by comparability.

Ukrainian firms are additionally creating progressive digital warfare strategies and {hardware}. Technology pioneered by Sine Engineering, a Ukrainian defense agency that not too long ago obtained a multi-million greenback funding from the US-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund, permits drones to fly with out GPS steerage to evade signal-jamming.

Several Ukrainian firms have already introduced their expertise to the US In March, General Cherry, one among Ukraine’s largest drone producers, signed a deal to make unmanned aerial autos (UAVs) within the US alongside American army producer Wilcox Industries.

The Pentagon has additionally invited Ukrainian firms to take part in its Drone Dominance initiativea $1.1 billion program geared toward figuring out drones for US army contracts.

But a broader defense settlement, which might doubtlessly convey extra Ukrainian expertise to the US, has confronted political roadblocks.

From “lack of buy-in” to “positive news for Ukraine”?

Ukrainian officers advised CBS News they felt a “lack of buy-in” on a drone deal from senior figures inside the Department of Defense and the White House, notably for the reason that war in Iran started. President Trump has publicly rebuffed Ukraine’s efforts to provide counter-drone expertise to the Middle East.

“We don’t need their help in drone defense,” Mr. Trump advised Fox News in early March. “We know more about drones than anybody. We have the best drones in the world, actually.”

CBS News requested the White House and the US State Department to remark Tuesday on the potential deal taking form with Ukraine, however there was no rapid response.

Ukraine’s wartime needs have introduced challenges of their very own to creating a deal.

Zelenskyy has stated the federal government will solely loosen up broad army export restrictions after Kyiv may be sure that Ukrainian firms’ mental property is protected, and that they are nonetheless capable of ship ample provides for Ukraine’s defense amid the continued Russian invasion.

But the memorandum drafted between Kyiv and Washington on an early-stage drone deal seems to counsel these obstacles could also be falling away.

“In addition to the Middle East and the Gulf, the South Caucasus, and Europe, we will soon launch this new security cooperation within the framework of Drone Deals with another part of the world as well,” Zelenskyy stated in his Telegram submit this week. “We are preparing positive news for Ukraine.”