Netherlands and Ukraine to co-produce drones as The Hague commits €200 million

The Netherlands and Ukraine have agreed to begin joint production of drones. The plan follows Ukraine’s decision to relax export and intellectual property restrictions to allow joint manufacturing with Dutch companies, caretaker Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans said Friday during a visit to the country.

Under the agreement, the Netherlands will invest 200 million euros in developing Ukrainian interception drones. Brekelmans said the move will both strengthen Ukraine’s air defense and advance Dutch drone technology.

“Ukraine has legally established that weapons cannot be exported because they are at war,” he said. “That also applied to intellectual property. Now, agreements have been made to make joint production possible. These still require some work, but entrepreneurs and soldiers in both countries are eager to start.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the deal “a new important step in our defense cooperation.” In a statement on X, he described the joint drone development as “one of the most promising areas” of partnership between the two countries.

Ukraine reportedly currently produces some of the world’s most advanced military drones, developed under wartime pressure. Dutch officials also see the partnership as a way to stimulate the Netherlands’ emerging defense drone sector.

The NATO alliance has been working urgently to strengthen air defenses after Russian drones crossed into Polish territory in recent months. Ukraine has built a sophisticated counter-drone network but continues to face relentless airstrikes.

Brekelmans praised Ukraine’s recent battlefield performance, saying the country achieved “a very impressive feat” by repelling large Russian offensives in recent months. He said Dutch support, including the half-billion euros previously invested in Ukrainian drone systems, has contributed to that success.

However, he warned that Ukraine faces “possibly the toughest winter since the Russian invasion,” with gas, water, and electricity supplies repeatedly disrupted by missile strikes. While the Netherlands recently purchased U.S.-made air defense missiles for Ukraine, Brekelmans criticized some southern European allies for not contributing enough.