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Germany and Ukraine tighten defence ties with drone production deal

15 April 2026

Germany and Ukraine agreed to deepen defence cooperation on Tuesday (14 April), outlining plans for a large-scale drone production partnership during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to Berlin. The discussions reflect Kyiv’s growing role in defence innovation after more than two years of resisting Russia’s full-scale invasion.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz highlighted Ukraine’s rapid technological development, stating at a joint press conference that “no defence industry has become more innovative than Ukraine’s”, adding that cooperation would strengthen both German and European defence capabilities and industrial capacity.

Zelensky said teams from both countries are working to finalise the scope of the drone production agreement, which is expected to involve close cooperation between Ukrainian and German defence companies. According to the German Defence Ministry, the initiative could supply thousands of drones to the Ukrainian military.

Germany remains one of Ukraine’s largest military backers, having provided tens of billions of euros in support since 2022. Berlin has earmarked around €11.5 billion for Ukraine-related assistance in its 2026 budget, including a proposed increase of approximately €3 billion compared to previous plans.

Part of Germany’s support continues to be channelled into air defence. On Tuesday (14 April), the Defence Ministry confirmed plans to procure additional Patriot air defence missiles from US manufacturer Raytheon, as well as IRIS-T systems produced by Diehl Defence.

Berlin has also committed further funding to support Ukraine’s development of long-range strike capabilities, with investments amounting to several hundred million euros.

Zelenskyy described Germany as a key partner and expressed confidence that the drone initiative could become one of the largest defence-industrial cooperation projects of its kind in Europe.

Source: commonspace.eu with Reuters

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