Ukraine and Finland sign Drone Deal
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Finnish President Alexander Stubb signed a Drone Deal on the joint production of defence equipment in New York on 23 September.
Source: European Pravda, citing Stubb on X (Twitter) and a press release by the Finnish government
Details: The Agreement on Enhanced Defence and Security Cooperation creates a framework for closer collaboration between the two countries in the field of defence materiel.
"Ukraine has developed its defence capability and industry in ways we can learn a lot from in Finland. This new agreement both supports Ukraine's defence and is a concrete step towards preparing Finland's defence industry and defence forces for a new, more technologically sophisticated era of warfare," Finland's Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said.
The Finnish government said Zelenskyy proposed the deal when he met with Orpo in Armenia in early May. Negotiations on the agreement continued during the summer and into early autumn.
The agreement will enable Finland and Ukraine to exchange technology and knowledge, pursue research, development and innovation cooperation, and carry out joint manufacturing projects, including drone technology development.
The agreement is also intended to simplify administrative procedures, including export licensing, to make the transfer of defence materiel and technology between the two countries as efficient as possible.
Quote from Stubb: "Ukraine needs all our support in its fight. At the same time, cooperation is mutually beneficial. By learning from Ukraine's experience, we are strengthening our own capabilities."
Background:
- It was reported in August that representatives of Finnish defence companies in Kyiv had signed cooperation agreements with their Ukrainian counterparts.
- Finnish company Innokas signed a letter of intent with Ukrainian drone manufacturer Airlogix to establish drone production capacity in Finland.
- In September, Finland decided to provide Ukraine with its 34th military aid package, worth €290 million.
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