Ukraine and the Netherlands Sign Memorandum on Joint Drone Production
Ukraine and the Netherlands have signed a memorandum on joint drone production, marking another step in strengthening the defense partnership between the two countries.
The Gaze reports on it, referring to the Office of the President of Ukraine.
During a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans in Kyiv, the parties agreed to deepen cooperation in the field of unmanned technologies. Following the talks, the defense ministers of the two countries signed a document providing for the launch of joint projects in the field of drone production.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the government and people of the Netherlands for their continued support of Ukraine, which has reached $9 billion since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion.
The President also noted Amsterdam's contribution of approximately $600 million to the PURL initiative, emphasizing that such assistance sets a positive example for other partners.
The parties discussed further implementation of the PURL initiative, as well as strengthening Ukraine's aviation and air defense capabilities. Ruben Brekelmans emphasized that the Netherlands is pleased to have the opportunity to support Ukraine.
“We are very proud to be able to help, in particular within the PURL initiative, as well as with F-16s, air defense, drone supplies, and the drone production initiative,” said the Dutch Minister of Defense.
At the end of the meeting, President Zelenskyy awarded Brekelmans the Order of Merit, Second Class.
“What you are going through is terrible. And every day I try to do everything I can to help you defend our common security – yours and that of all Europe,” said Ruben Brekelmans.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal also noted that the agreement provides for the launch of joint production of deep-strike UAVs in the Netherlands with €110 million in investments as part of the Build with Ukraine initiative.
“We focused separately on our key priorities: increasing the production of drones for the front line and city defense, strengthening the long-range capabilities of the Defense Forces, and strengthening sanctions pressure on the aggressor,” Shmyhal wrote on Facebook.
As The Gaze informed earlier, the Netherlands has officially launched a major defense manufacturing initiative in the city of Born, Limburg province, where production of unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs), drones, and military-grade batteries will serve both Dutch and Ukrainian defense needs.