Ukraine, US set to sign major drone deal following Zelenskyy–Trump talks

Ukraine and the United States are preparing to formalise a major defence agreement focused on the production and supply of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), in what has been dubbed a "drone deal." The agreement was discussed during a recent phone call between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US President Donald Trump, according to Ukrainian officials.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko confirmed the forthcoming deal during a press briefing on July 18, noting that the agreement is being developed alongside plans to establish a joint investment fund, Caliber.Az reports via Ukrainian media.

“In addition to the agreement on the creation of an investment fund, we want to sign the drone deal announced by the president. This is the agreement Zelenskyy discussed with Trump during their latest phone conversation, where the US is considering the purchase of a large batch of Ukrainian drones,” Svyrydenko said.

On July 16, Zelenskyy said Trump had expressed interest in Ukrainian drones and wanted to equip the US military with them. Meanwhile, Ukraine is in need of air defence systems. Thus, both sides have mutual interests in defence cooperation.

Notably, Keith Kellogg, Special Representative of the US President, who recently visited Ukraine on a multi-day trip, also praised Ukrainian drones. He even recommended that the American defence industry take Ukraine as an example.

Amid this backdrop, the US recently held a presentation of the LUCAS combat drone, which, according to its developers, is a low-cost analogue of the Iranian Shahed-136 kamikaze drones. The drone was developed by the American company SpektreWorks, and the event was attended by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.

By Vugar Khalilov