President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on July 8, 2026, that Ukraine has signed three additional "drone deals" with Denmark, Estonia, and the Netherlands. These agreements, revealed on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, make Ukraine's expertise gained from over four years of conflict with Russia available to these countries. Zelensky stated that Kyiv has now secured nine such accords in total.

Ukraine has developed a highly sophisticated drone industry since Russia's invasion in February 2022, despite initially having limited expertise in this sector. Zelensky highlighted that the deal with Denmark "opens up greater opportunities for joint defence production, the exchange of expertise, and transparency in weapons exports." He also noted that Denmark was the first country to offer joint production in Ukraine and that "it is absolutely fair that Denmark will now have access to Ukrainian exports of weapons tested in war."

In a social media post at the end of the first day of NATO meetings, Zelensky emphasized that Ukraine "rightfully belongs here" and reiterated that Kyiv's main aim at the summit was to "secure more air defence and stronger diplomatic positions." This comes as Ukraine seeks to strengthen its defences against Russian ballistic missile attacks, following two recent strikes on the Ukrainian capital.

Zelensky has also actively promoted these defence deals in the Middle East, where Gulf countries have faced Iranian strikes this year.

Sources