Zelenskyy says he and Trump are considering a drone ‘mega-deal'
Zelenskyy said his latest talks with Trump focused on a deal that would help each country bolster its aerial technology.
Ukrainian drones have been able to strike targets as deep as 800 miles (1,300 km) into Russian territory.
'The people of America need this technology, and you need to have it in your arsenal,' Zelenskyy told The Post in the interview conducted Wednesday.
The Ukrainian leader said drones were the key tool that has allowed his country to fight off Russia's invasion for more than three years.
'We will be ready to share this experience with America and other European partners,' he said. Ukraine was also in talks with Denmark, Norway and Germany, he said.
On Thursday, Zelenskyy announced unspecified future agreements with the United States which he said would strengthen his country, as he appeared in parliament to put forward his new government.
Next year's US defense and national security budget request boosts spending on small drones - in part because of lessons learned during Russia's war in Ukraine, where unmanned aircraft have proven to be an integral part of low-cost, yet highly effective fighting.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
2 hours ago
- Arab News
Belgian king denounces Gaza abuses in unusually direct remarks
BRUSSELS: Belgium's King Philippe described abuses in Gaza as a 'disgrace to humanity' in a speech on the eve of Monday's national day, unusually direct remarks on international affairs from a monarch who traditionally avoids public politics. 'I add my voice to all those who denounce the serious humanitarian abuses in Gaza, where innocent people are dying of hunger and being killed by bombs while trapped in their enclaves,' he said speaking at his palace in Brussels. 'The current situation has gone on for far too long. It is a disgrace to all of humanity. We support the call by the United Nations Secretary-General to immediately end this unbearable crisis.' It was the first time Philippe has spoken out so strongly and unambiguously about a conflict in public. Belgium's federal government has been more reserved in its criticism of the conflict in Gaza. The king's role in Belgium is limited to giving advice, support, and warnings to the government without making any political decisions. Israel launched its assault on Gaza following an October 2023 attack on Israeli towns by Hamas-led fighters who killed 1,200 people and captured 251 hostages. Since then, Israeli forces have killed more than 59,000 people in Gaza, according to health officials there. Much of the territory has been laid to waste and Israel has restricted food and other supplies. Israel denies that its forces commit abuses in Gaza and says restrictions on supplies are needed to prevent aid from being diverted by militants.
Arab News
2 hours ago
- Arab News
France a key player in Europe's rise in global defense market
On the eve of Bastille Day, French President Emmanuel Macron called for a major strengthening of France's defense forces, stressing the need for the country to become the world's leading military power, capable of acting independently amid mounting global threats. At the core of this pivot lies a stark admission: France is falling behind. While Russia and China are rapidly advancing in emerging technologies, ranging from artificial intelligence and drone warfare to space, cyber and quantum capabilities, France currently maintains its defense spending at about 2 percent of gross domestic product, well below NATO's new 3.5 percent benchmark. However, it remains the world's second-largest arms exporter, holding 9.6 percent of the global market share, a position largely sustained by strong demand from its NATO allies and Eastern European partners. Now, Macron has committed to an unprecedented budgetary increase. An additional €6.5 billion ($7.5 billion) will be injected into defense spending over the next two years, bringing the total to €64 billion in 2027, double what the military received when Macron first entered office in 2017. This surge follows a scale-up in production of radars, Mistral and Aster missiles, Caesar howitzers and Rafale fighter jets. For France's strategic elite, this investment is also political. Chief of Defense Staff Gen. Thierry Burkhard recently declared France to be Moscow's priority target. And Macron is betting on a renewed defense consensus to deflect criticism of Prime Minister Francois Bayrou's contentious austerity plan, which is aimed at recovering €40 billion. This year's Bastille Day parade showcased France's heightened military ambitions with a broader array of weaponry and troops Zaid M. Belbagi The message was on full display during this year's Bastille Day military parade, which showcased France's heightened military ambitions with a broader array of weaponry and troops. The parade also underscored European solidarity, as it featured Swiss F/A-18s and Belgian F-16s flying alongside French forces. The message was clear: European airpower must be interoperable, united and ready. France's 2025 National Strategic Review echoes this vision, calling for a 'wartime economy' and greater European defense sovereignty, particularly through joint procurement and production funding within the European Defence Technology Industrial Base. As outlined in the March 2025 European Defence White Paper, France and Germany aim to lead an EU-wide rearmament push. Shared investment in scalable capabilities is designed to optimize both cost-efficiency and industrial output. Landmark projects like the French-German Future Combat Air System fighter program and the Main Ground Combat System tank initiative have now been joined by German-British collaborations on Boxer armored vehicles and Typhoon jets, offering a glimpse into the kind of coordinated military-industrial momentum that Europe's defense ambitions increasingly rely on. Yet this internal consolidation has come with geopolitical trade-offs. While France maintains its strategic foothold in Djibouti, it has scaled back its military footprint across Africa under Macron, having officially withdrawn from its posts in Senegal this month, alongside earlier departures from Ivory Coast, Gabon, Chad and Niger. These exits reflect both waning French influence and the rise of anti-French sentiment driven by stronger demands for national sovereignty across the continent. In response, Paris is shifting its focus eastward. The Middle East and North Africa region now forms the southern flank of Europe's security arc, a strategic frontier less shaped by Washington's hand and increasingly central to European defense planning. France, like Germany and the UK, has moved to deepen ties across the Gulf and North Africa. Today, it conducts regular joint exercises and maintains close counterterrorism cooperation with the UAE, Bahrain, Jordan, Egypt and Morocco. Since 2009, France has maintained a robust military presence in the UAE, running air, naval and land bases. Abu Dhabi's €16 billion acquisition of 80 Rafale aircraft from Dassault Aviation in 2021 marked a significant strengthening of this partnership. The deal elevated their industrial cooperation and expanded France's deployment in the region, with 800 troops supporting, among other things, training initiatives on Emirati soil. Diplomatic activity has intensified during Macron's second term. In December last year, the French president made a state visit to Riyadh, following the emir of Qatar's official visit to Paris in February 2024. Just last month, Paris hosted the third France-Qatar Strategic Dialogue, a forum that reaffirmed the two nations' mutual commitment to deeper defense and security cooperation. These developments signal a decisive reorientation of France's security architecture toward the Mediterranean arc Zaid M. Belbagi France's National Strategic Review confirms plans to further reinforce partnerships with key MENA states, including Egypt, Jordan, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain. These countries are no longer regarded merely as clients but increasingly as co-producers of regional stability. In a notable example, Macron welcomed UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan to Paris in February for a working dinner centered on joint projects valued at approximately €50 billion. Among these, Emirati artificial intelligence companies are set to build Europe's largest AI campus in France, anchored by a data center with a capacity of up to 1 gigawatt. France's maritime security initiatives are also expanding. Since February 2024, Paris has led Operation Aspides, the EU's naval mission protecting Red Sea shipping routes from Houthi attacks. France also plays a critical role in the Mediterranean, enforcing the arms embargo on Libya under the EU's Operation Irini and carrying out joint naval maneuvers with Egypt and Morocco. While advancing its Euro-MENA posture, Paris continues to underline the importance of strategic ties with both the US and Israel, recognizing their central roles in shaping the region's defense dynamics. As such, these developments signal a decisive reorientation of France's security architecture toward the Mediterranean arc. As Russian aggression intensifies and tensions escalate across the Middle East, especially involving Iran, France is actively working to shape a Euro-MENA security order. In this emerging landscape, partners like Morocco, Jordan, Egypt, the UAE and Qatar are no longer seen simply as arms buyers. They are becoming equal stakeholders in a shared pursuit of strategic autonomy, shaped by joint production, collective deterrence and a more balanced diplomatic order. Amid Germany's rearmament and France's assertive defense agenda, Europe is stepping up as a rising force in the global defense market. This shift not only opens new avenues for MENA countries to deepen security and defense partnerships with European powers, but also raises important questions about the future of their long-standing cooperation with global heavyweights like the US, China and Russia — countries that have long held dominant military footprints in the region. As the balance of power evolves, so too does the shape of strategic alliances across the Middle East.
Al Arabiya
2 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Companies pledge to invest over $700 billion in Germany over the next 3 years
A group of dozens of companies pledged Monday to invest at least 631 billion euros (733 billion) in Germany over the next three years, sending a signal of confidence in Europe's biggest economy as the new government tries to breathe new life into it. The economy has shrunk for the past two years and is expected to stagnate this year. Chancellor Friedrich Merz's administration has made revitalizing it a top priority since it took office May 6. It has launched a program to encourage investment and set up a 500 billion euro fund to pour money into Germany's creaking infrastructure over the next 12 years. It is promising to cut red tape and speed up the country's lagging digitization. On Monday, Merz welcomed representatives of an initiative titled 'Made for Germany' to the chancellery to send a signal of confidence from and to private investors. The group currently includes 61 companies from across the economy, among them industrial conglomerate Siemens and financial giant Deutsche Bank. The investments by the initiative are a very powerful signal that we are now experiencing a shift in sentiment and consolidating it,' Merz said. 'The message … is very clear: Germany is back. It's worth investing in Germany again. We are not a location of the past, but a location of the present and above all the future.' He stressed that private investment is crucial to encouraging growth. The overall figure pledged Monday includes at least some already planned investments. Merz said the plans include investments in new facilities and in modernizing infrastructure in research and development. Deutsche Bank CEO Christian Sewing praised the new government as being determined to end the reform backlog 'that has slowed us down for too long.' But he said that it still needs to do more, and the companies encouraged the government to continue the course of reform. 'Our priorities are clear: We want economic growth; we want to strengthen Germany's competitiveness; we want to defend or further expand our technological leadership; and we want to bring our infrastructure into the digital age,' Siemens CEO Roland Busch said.
