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Zelenskyy Says US-Ukraine Drone Deal Could Be “Strongest Cooperation in the World”
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![Photo of Vlad Litnarovych]( "Photo of Vlad Litnarovych")
Ukraine has still not signed a major framework agreement with the United States on drone technology cooperation, despite Washington’s interest in testing Ukrainian systems already proven on the battlefield, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on May 31.
According to Zelenskyy, the United States wanted to test all types of Ukrainian drones, including systems used in the air, on land, and at sea.
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Kyiv agreed to the proposed format for testing, training, and operational use, but the broader bilateral agreement has not yet been finalized.
“We wanted to conclude the first Drone Deal with the United States. The US wanted to test all types of our drones. We agreed to the way they wanted to test, train with, and use our systems in the air, on land, and at sea. But we still don’t have a bilateral Drone Deal – a big framework document,” Zelenskyy said.
We wanted to conclude the first Drone Deal with the United States. The U.S. wanted to test all types of our drones. We agreed to the way they wanted to test, train with, and use our systems in the air, on land, and at sea. But we still don’t have a bilateral Drone Deal – a big…
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) May 31, 2026
The Ukrainian leader said Kyiv already has similar drone cooperation arrangements with some countries in Europe and the Middle East. Ukraine is also preparing a larger drone agreement with the European Union.
“The Drone Deals we have are with some countries in the Middle East and Europe, and now we are preparing a big Drone Deal with the EU. I hope we will reach the same agreement with our American partners. I count on it,” he said.
Zelenskyy argued that a US-Ukraine drone partnership could become one of the most powerful in the world, combining American artificial intelligence capabilities with Ukraine’s real combat experience in unmanned warfare.
“American companies have advanced AI technologies we don’t have. In turn, we have many things they don’t have, due to our extensive experience on the battlefield,” Zelenskyy said.
Ukraine has become one of the world’s leading users and developers of unmanned systems during Russia’s full-scale war, rapidly adapting drones for reconnaissance, strike missions, naval attacks, logistics, and ground operations.
For the United States, cooperation with Ukraine could provide access to battlefield-tested drone concepts and operational lessons from the most drone-intensive war in modern history. For Ukraine, a formal agreement with Washington could unlock deeper cooperation on AI, production, training, and next-generation unmanned platforms.
“I think this cooperation can be huge—the most powerful of its kind in the world. We need to negotiate, not just talk about it. Take the necessary steps and do it as quickly as possible. For this, we need President Trump to say yes,” Zelenskyy said.
Earlier, Ukraine’s military intelligence agency (HUR) unveiled how it is using an artificial intelligence-powered targeting and command platform developed by US software company Palantir to support long-range drone operations against targets inside Russia.
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