United to win: Ukraine and Finland sign Drone Deal in New York to boost defense cooperation and joint production
The document provides for deepening cooperation between Ukraine and Finland in defense materiel and creates opportunities for the exchange of technology, information, and expertise.
Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo noted that Ukraine has developed its own defense capabilities and defense industry during the war, offering valuable lessons for Finland.
The Finnish government reported that Volodymyr Zelenskyi initiated the agreement, proposing it during a meeting with Petteri Orpo in Armenia in early May. Negotiations over the document continued throughout the summer and early autumn.
The agreement specifically provides for the exchange of technologies and information between Ukraine and Finland, highlighting research, development, and innovation as a key focus area.
The document also foresees joint industrial production projects, including the development of unmanned aerial vehicle technologies.
The agreement pays special attention to administrative procedures to simplify export licensing processes. This aims to ensure the most effective transfer of defense materiel and technologies between Ukraine and Finland.
Alexander Stubb emphasized the mutual benefits of the partnership and the necessity of supporting Ukraine.
"Ukraine needs all our support in its fight. At the same time, the cooperation is mutually beneficial. By learning from Ukraine's experience, we strengthen our own capabilities," the President of Finland noted.
Background
The Drone Deal is a multi-year international cooperation program initiated by Ukraine that focuses on comprehensive interaction in security and defense. It combines Ukrainian combat expertise, supply chains, and defense-industrial cooperation.
The Drone Deal can include projects tailored to specific partner requests: air defense development, scaling drone technologies, training programs, and defense-industrial production. The entire framework builds on Ukrainian combat experience.
The 10-year agreement format enables a more flexible yet stable partnership, creating a long-term foundation for sustainable funding.
As Rubryka previously reported, the Finnish government allocated its 34th defense assistance package to Ukraine, valued at approximately 290 million euros.
Stubb noted that the package included equipment urgently requested by Kyiv ahead of the coming winter.
Finland's Ministry of Defense noted that this package ranks as the second-largest in value among those provided to date.
Reports also indicated that Ukrainian drone developer Airlogix and Finnish company Innokas agreed to cooperate to establish manufacturing facilities in Finland to produce UAVs using Ukrainian technology.
The 81st session of the UN General Assembly was taking place in New York. Volodymyr Zelenskyi arrived in New York on September 22 to participate in the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, with his speech expected on September 23.
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25 of September 2026
