Finland and Ukraine sign Drone Deal to boost their defence and security cooperation

Finland and Ukraine sign Drone Deal to boost their defence and security cooperation

Finland and Ukraine have signed an Agreement on Enhanced Defence and Security Cooperation under the Drone Deal format. It will enable defence materiel cooperation between the two countries.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy suggested the agreement to Finland's Prime Minister Petteri Orpo when the two met in Armenia in early May. Finland and Ukraine negotiated the agreement during the summer and early autumn under the leadership of the Finnish Ministry of Defence.

"Ukraine has developed its defence capability and industry in ways we can learn a lot from in Finland. This new agreement both supports Ukraine's defence and is a concrete step towards preparing Finland's defence industry and defence forces for a new, more technologically sophisticated era of warfare," Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said.

"For months, the Finnish Ministry of Defence has been negotiating this agreement intensively with Ukraine. We found a way to advance both our countries' objectives. This agreement will open significant opportunities for both the Finnish defence industry and for strengthening Ukraine's defence capability. It will bring our excellent cooperation to a whole new level," Minister of Defence Antti Häkkänen said.

The aim of the agreement is to deepen defence and security cooperation between Finland and Ukraine and to strengthen both countries' defence capabilities, industrial cooperation and technological development. It will facilitate cooperation between the countries' administrations and industries.

The agreement will enable Finland and Ukraine to transfer technology and knowledge, pursue research, development and innovation cooperation and promote joint manufacturing and drone technology development between their industries. Another objective is to simplify administrative processes, for example regarding the granting of export authorisations, to make the transfer of defence materiel and technologies between the two countries as efficient as possible.

President of the Republic Alexander Stubb and President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed the agreement on 23 September 2026 in New York.

Inquiries: Olli Ruutu, Director General, Ministry of Defence, tel. +358 295 140 400. Requests for interviews with Minister Häkkänen: Antti Vesala, Special Adviser, tel. 358 504 710 883.