U.S. and Ukraine near landmark drone defense agreement including Pentagon testing program

The United States and Ukraine are negotiating a comprehensive drone defense agreement that would allow Ukraine to test its drone technology at Pentagon facilities and manufacture drones in joint ventures with American companies. Ukraine projects $55 billion in defense production capacity for 2026 but only has $15 billion in available funds, while one Ukrainian manufacturer plans to produce over 3 million first-person-view drones compared to just 300,000 built by the U.S. in 2025. The Pentagon has invited Ukrainian companies into its $1.1 billion Drone Dominance initiative, though Ukrainian officials report resistance from senior Defense Department and White House figures since the Iran war began. Ukraine has already signed defense agreements with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE, deploying drone interceptors to help Middle Eastern allies counter Iranian Shahed drones. President Zelenskyy states nearly 20 countries are pursuing defense cooperation with Ukraine, but Kyiv will only relax military export restrictions after ensuring intellectual property protection and sufficient domestic supply.

U.S.-Ukraine drone defense agreement

• ▪The U.S. State Department and Ukrainian Ambassador to the U.S. Olha Stefanishyna drafted a memorandum outlining terms of a potential defense deal between the U.S. and Ukraine
• ▪Ukraine currently only has funds to buy around $15 billion worth of weapons in 2026
• ▪Ukrainian officials first pitched the idea of cooperation on drones to the White House in August 2025
• ▪Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine will only relax broad military export restrictions after Kyiv can be certain that Ukrainian companies' intellectual property is protected
• ▪The Pentagon invited Ukrainian companies to participate in its Drone Dominance initiative, a $1.1 billion program aimed at identifying drones for U.S. military contracts
• ▪Ukraine's National Security Council projects a defense production capacity of $55 billion in 2026

Ukrainian drone technology advantages

• ▪The U.S. built only 300,000 first-person-view military drones in 2025
• ▪One Ukrainian manufacturer plans to produce more than 3 million low-cost first-person-view military drones in 2026
• ▪Sine Engineering received a multi-million dollar investment from the U.S.-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund
• ▪General Cherry signed a deal in March 2026 to make unmanned aerial vehicles in the U.S. alongside American military manufacturer Wilcox Industries
• ▪President Trump privately lauded Operation Spiderweb, a Ukrainian drone attack deep behind Russian lines
• ▪Sine Engineering developed technology that allows drones to fly without GPS guidance to evade signal-jamming

Middle East defense deals

• ▪Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that nearly 20 countries are currently involved at various stages of defense cooperation with Ukraine, with 4 agreements already signed
• ▪Kyiv has sent drone interceptors and pilots to the Middle East to help U.S. allies defend against Iranian-designed Shahed drones
• ▪Ukraine has signed defense agreements with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates over the last two months as of May 12, 2026

Political obstacles within Trump administration

• ▪President Trump publicly rebuffed Ukraine's efforts to supply counter-drone technology to the Middle East in early March 2026
• ▪Ukrainian officials felt a lack of buy-in on a drone deal from senior figures within the Department of Defense and the White House, particularly since the war in Iran began
• ▪President Trump told Fox News in early March 2026 that the U.S. does not need Ukraine's help in drone defense

Perspective of Trump administration

• ▪President Trump privately praised Ukraine's Operation Spiderweb drone attack that destroyed dozens of Russian warplanes deep inside Russian territory
• ▪President Trump publicly maintains that the United States does not require Ukrainian assistance in drone defense capabilities