Ukraine expands drone diplomacy in Europe, signs tech-sharing agreement with Latvia

4 min readJun 10, 2026 02:14 PM IST

Speaking about the agreement, Zelenskyy said in a post on X that the deal would strengthen the defence capabilities of both countries. (Credit: @ZelenskyyUa)

Ukraine has agreed to share its drone technology with European nations. On Tuesday, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs signed a drone cooperation agreement on the sidelines of a summit between Ukraine and the Nordic-Baltic states in the Estonian capital, Tallinn.

The Ukrainian President met the Prime Ministers of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Iceland, Finland, Sweden and Norway shortly after returning from London, where he held talks with the leaders of Britain, France and Germany. The European leaders said they were prepared to support ceasefire negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, Reuters reported.

Speaking about the agreement, Zelenskyy said in a post on X that the deal would strengthen the defence capabilities of both countries.

“These are concrete things to strengthen our joint defense and co-production, and, importantly, this also means Ukraine’s expertise and experience helping to strengthen our partners,” he said.

My first meeting with the new Prime Minister of Latvia, @AndrisKulbergs, and an important result for our countries – we signed a Drone Deal. These are concrete things to strengthen our joint defense and co-production, and, importantly, this also means Ukraine’s expertise and… pic.twitter.com/KWVARKw6yY

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 9, 2026

Details of the agreement have been not been made public so far.

During a joint press conference, Kulbergs said the partnership would provide Latvia with Ukrainian technological expertise and opportunities for joint production.

“We need to protect our skies, and nobody knows how to do that better than Ukraine,” he said.

It was a pleasure to meet 🇺🇦 president @ZelenskyyUa in person,

Since today, we take real steps in creating Ukraine antidrone expertise in Latvia. Our skies can only be protected if we follow Ukraine example, know-how and experience.

We signed Drone Agreement to have mutual… https://t.co/AE1iK41T6E

— Andris Kulbergs (AS) 🇺🇦🇱🇻 (@AndrisKulbergs) June 9, 2026

In a separate post on X after the Tallinn summit, Kulbergs said the agreement envisages the “immediate” deployment of Ukrainian anti-drone combat specialists to Latvia.

“Its goal is to adopt Ukraine’s anti-drone expertise, technological solutions, and training from Ukrainian drone warriors in Latvia, as well as to develop joint production in the military industries of Latvia and Ukraine,” he wrote.

Diena Nr. 8 premjera krēslā (ceļā no 🇪🇪)

Iespējams, pati svarīgākā diena līdz šim.

Šodien vēsturisks mirklis — 🇱🇻 Latvija parakstīja aizsardzības sadarbības līgumu ar 🇺🇦 Ukrainu!

➖️ Rītu sāku, tiekoties ar 🇪🇪 prezidentu @AlarKaris. Galvenais sarunas temats bija trīs “B” —… pic.twitter.com/o5rXP5E9D7

— Andris Kulbergs (AS) 🇺🇦🇱🇻 (@AndrisKulbergs) June 9, 2026

Rustem Umerov, chairman of Ukraine’s defence and security council, said Latvia had become the sixth country to join Kyiv’s drone cooperation initiative.

Story continues below this ad

The Baltic countries, all members of NATO, have reported several instances of drones entering their airspace in recent weeks as Ukraine has intensified long-range attacks on Russian energy facilities. Ukraine has attributed the incidents to Russian electronic warfare systems interfering with drone flight paths.

Drone deal with Saudi

Since the outbreak of the Iran war in late February, Zelenskyy has sought to leverage Ukraine’s expertise in drone warfare into a series of diplomatic and defence cooperation agreements during visits across Europe and the Middle East.

In March 2026, he signed a similar drone cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia. Zelenskyy said Saudi Arabia faced ballistic missile and drone threats from Iran similar to those Ukraine had been combating from Russia for more than four years.

“We are ready to share our expertise and systems with Saudi Arabia and to work together to strengthen the protection of lives,” he said in a post on X.

Story continues below this ad

Zelenskyy added that, in return, Ukraine would seek Saudi assistance in defending itself against the ongoing Russian invasion.

© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd

The Express Global Desk at indianexpress.com which delivers authoritative, verified, and context-driven coverage of key international developments shaping global politics, policy, and migration trends. The desk focuses on stories with direct relevance for Indian and global audiences, combining breaking news with in-depth explainers and analysis.

A major focus area of the desk is US immigration and visa policy, including developments related to student visas, work permits, permanent residency pathways, executive actions, and court rulings. The Global Desk also closely tracks Canada’s immigration, visa, and study policies, covering changes to study permits, post-study work options, permanent residence programmes, and regulatory updates affecting migrants and international students.

All reporting from the Global Desk adheres to The Indian Express’ editorial standards, relying on official data, government notifications, court documents, and on-record sources. The desk prioritises clarity, accuracy, and accountability, ensuring readers can navigate complex global systems with confidence.

Core Team

The Express Global Desk is led by a team of experienced journalists and editors with deep expertise in international affairs and migration policy:

Aniruddha Dhar – Senior Assistant Editor with extensive experience in global affairs, international politics, and editorial leadership.

Nischai Vats – Deputy Copy Editor specialising in US politics, US visa and immigration policy, and policy-driven international coverage.

Mashkoora Khan – Sub-editor focusing on global developments, with a strong emphasis on Canada visa, immigration, and study-related policy coverage. ... Read More

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram

Tags:

Russia

Ukraine