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Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy have signed a new agreement aimed at expanding collaboration on drones, military technology and the defence industry, as European allies seek to draw more closely on Kyiv’s battlefield experience.
The agreement, signed on Tuesday on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, will deepen cooperation between the Estonian and Ukrainian defence industries, including the exchange of expertise in drone technology, cybersecurity, information technology and military innovation.
“Ukraine has developed one of the most competitive defence industries in the world” through its experience fighting Russia’s invasion, Michal said, arguing that closer cooperation “will benefit our defence capability, the defence industry and Ukraine.”
Defence products have “so far been subject to very strict export restrictions,” Michal said in a press release. Under the agreement, Ukraine “is ready” to export defence products to Estonia, a Baltic country of 1.3 million, while Estonia could procure Ukrainian-developed capabilities or work with Ukrainian companies on jointly produced systems tailored to the needs of the Estonian Defence Forces.
“It is important for Estonia to create as much combat capability as possible from every euro, and if possible, we also prefer local production,” he said.
The agreement would allow joint ventures to begin production in Estonia and Ukraine, with Kyiv providing the necessary export approvals for selected technologies, Estonian defence minister Hanno Pevkur added.
The agreement does not include specific financial commitments from the Estonian state, according to the government.
It comes as European countries increasingly seek closer defence-industrial cooperation with Ukraine, particularly in areas such as drones, electronic warfare and battlefield technologies, in which Ukrainian companies have gained extensive experience in the war against Russia.