On 24/7, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced an agreement with US President Donald Trump for Washington to purchase Ukrainian-made drones.
Zelensky tasked National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov, Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal, and Presidential Advisor Oleksandr Kamyshin with preparing the sales contract.
"They will be in charge of this. Preparing this contract is crucial, and it's a serious deal worth 10-20-30 billion USD," Zelensky stated.
The US has not yet commented on the announcement.
In an interview on 16/7, Zelensky mentioned that he and Trump were considering a significant deal involving the US purchasing battle-tested Ukrainian drones in exchange for Kyiv buying weapons from Washington.
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Ukrainian soldiers deploy a drone near Kupyansk in a photo from January. Telegraph |
Ukrainian soldiers deploy a drone near Kupyansk in a photo from January. Telegraph
Zelensky highlighted drones as key to Ukraine's defense over the past three years and emphasized the US's need for this technology.
"We are ready to share our experience with the US and European partners," he said, adding that Ukraine is also in talks with Germany, Denmark, and Norway.
According to US military officials and drone experts, the US lags behind both Russia and China in drone production, as well as in training soldiers to use and defend against them.
Meanwhile, Ukraine has become a global hub for drone production as its military and engineers have mastered the technology for survival.
Drones are now crucial weapons in the Ukraine conflict, enabling both sides to destroy modern heavy equipment.
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth acknowledged Washington's drone technology gap and announced new policies and investments to close it.
In June, President Trump signed an executive order titled "Building American Drone Dominance," directing federal officials to expedite licensing for drone manufacturers and protect the US drone supply chain from "unfair" foreign interference.
Pham Giang (RBC Ukraine, Ukrainska Pravda, Newsmax)
