Ukraine and Finland sign Drone Deal
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Finnish President Alexander Stubb signed a Drone Deal in New York on 23 September on the joint production of defence equipment.
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 had proposed the agreement during a meeting with Orpo in Armenia in early May. Negotiations on the document continued throughout the summer and into early autumn.
The agreement, among other things, provides for the exchange of technology and information, cooperation in research, development and innovation and joint industrial production projects, including in the development of unmanned aerial vehicle technology.
The document 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, the 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 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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