Von der Leyen in Kyiv to finalise EU drone deal
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is in Kyiv to announce a drone agreement that will store unmanned aerial vehicles on EU territory, marking a deeper integration of Europe’s defence industry with Ukraine's wartime economy.
Ursula von der Leyen arrived in Kyiv on Wednesday to finalise a long-anticipated drone deal with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The agreement is expected to include a novel arrangement where unmanned aerial vehicles destined for the front lines will be stored on European Union territory. The initiative forms the core of new efforts to merge the EU’s defence manufacturing base with Ukraine’s military technology sector.
For European defence contractors, the deal represents a concrete step toward integrating Ukraine into the continent's industrial supply chain. Zelenskyy and von der Leyen are framing the partnership as mutually beneficial, pairing Europe's manufacturing scale with Ukraine's rapid technological innovations in unmanned systems. This industrial integration comes as drone warfare dictates the current stalemate on the battlefield.
The visit highlights a sharp reversal in Kyiv's political and economic fortunes since von der Leyen's last trip in late February. During that winter visit, Ukraine was enduring widespread blackouts from Russian attacks, Hungary had blocked a crucial €90 billion support loan, and the EU accession process was entirely paralysed.
That €90 billion loan is now active, and Ukraine opened a new cluster of accession negotiations on Tuesday. On the military front, Ukrainian long-range strikes on remote Russian oil refineries have triggered a fuel crisis that is tightening the screws on Moscow's war economy. "Ukraine has built a strong military momentum. The tide is turning," von der Leyen said upon arrival.
The European Commission president tied this battlefield shift to continued European economic support. "The EU is fully playing its part, with our €90 billion loan. In Ukraine, I will announce new initiatives to deepen the integration of our defence industries," she added. Following the bilateral meetings, Zelenskyy will present von der Leyen with the newly created Order of Europe, an award recognising contributions to Ukraine's independence and EU membership path.
Von der Leyen will also attend the 5th Ukraine-Southeast Europe summit. She is scheduled to join leaders from Croatia, Moldova and Romania for broader discussions on regional security.
