The Netherlands and Ukraine are joining forces to co-produce drones, marking a major step forward in their defense cooperation. The announcement came Friday during a visit to Ukraine by
Dutch caretaker Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans.
Under the agreement, the Netherlands will invest €200 million in the development of Ukrainian-made interception drones. Brekelmans said the partnership will not only boost Ukraine’s air defense capabilities but also help advance the Netherlands’ growing drone industry.
“Ukraine has long prohibited the export of weapons and even related intellectual property because of the ongoing war,” Brekelmans explained. “New legal arrangements now make joint production possible. There’s still some work to do, but both entrepreneurs and military personnel from our two countries are eager to get started.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the deal “a new important step in our defense cooperation.” In a post on X, he described drone development as “one of the most promising areas” of partnership between Ukraine and the Netherlands.
Ukraine has become a global leader in military drone innovation, with much of its cutting-edge technology developed under the pressure of war. Dutch officials see the collaboration as a chance to accelerate their own defense technology and strengthen the Netherlands’ place in Europe’s emerging drone market.
The agreement also comes amid NATO’s broader efforts to reinforce air defenses, following several incidents where Russian drones entered Polish airspace. While Ukraine has built an advanced counter-drone network, it continues to face constant missile and drone attacks from Russia.
Brekelmans praised Ukraine’s resilience on the battlefield, calling its defense against recent large-scale Russian offensives “a very impressive feat.” He noted that Dutch support—over €500 million already invested in Ukrainian drone systems—has played a meaningful role in that success.
Still, he warned that the months ahead could be difficult. “Ukraine faces possibly the toughest winter since the start of the invasion,” he said, pointing to ongoing attacks that threaten the country’s gas, water, and electricity supplies.
The Netherlands recently purchased U.S.-made air defense missiles for Ukraine, but Brekelmans also criticized some southern European allies for not contributing enough to the joint defense effort. Photo by АрміяInform, Wikimedia commons.