Vitaly Sayenko 16:26, 12.05.26 UNIAN
Ukraine could begin exporting military technology to the United States, and American funding could help expand production
The governments of the United States and Ukraine have developed a draft memorandum defining the terms of a potential new defense agreement between the countries , the American television channel CBS News reports , citing three informed sources.
This project was agreed upon by the US State Department and Ukrainian Ambassador Olga Stefanishyna and is the first step towards concluding a defense agreement. This agreement should allow Ukraine to export military technology to the US and produce drones in joint ventures with American companies.
As the channel notes, during the Iran war, Ukraine has capitalized on the innovations its military and defense contractors have created over more than four years of a grueling war with Russia. Kyiv has sent interceptor drones and pilots to the Middle East to help U.S. allies defend themselves against the same Iranian Shahed drones that Russia has been launching during attacks on Ukrainian towns and villages.
Ukrainian officials first proposed the idea of cooperation on drones to the White House in August 2025.
As Ukrainian officials noted, drone cooperation with the United States should become mutually beneficial, as American funding would help both countries expand defense production.
Drone production in Ukraine
According to the forecast of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, in 2026, Ukrainian defense production capacity will amount to $55 billion. However, Ukraine will need much more external financing to realize this potential, as Kyiv currently has the funds to purchase weapons worth about $15 billion, said Yuriy Sak, advisor to the Ministry of Strategic Industries of Ukraine.
At the same time, Ukraine is doing a great job of producing weapons systems that the US has not previously prioritized. One Ukrainian manufacturer plans to produce more than 3 million low-cost, first-person-view military drones by 2026. By comparison, the US produced only 300,000 in 2025.
In addition, Ukrainian companies are developing innovative methods and equipment for electronic warfare. In particular, Ukrainian defense company Sine Engineering, which recently received a multi-million dollar investment from the US-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund, has pioneered technology that allows drones to fly without GPS guidance to avoid obstacles.
The Pentagon has invited Ukrainian companies to join the “Drone Domination” initiative, a $1.1 billion program aimed at sourcing drones for U.S. military contracts.
Agreement between Ukraine and the USA
As UNIAN reported, in March, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine would like to sign an agreement with the United States of America for the production of drones worth about 35-50 billion.
As is known, Zelensky was able to turn his country’s experience in the field of drone use into a series of successful diplomatic agreements during visits to the Middle East and Europe .
I think Ukraine should take advantage of this technology and transfer the technology only to those countries that support Ukraine’s integration into NATO.