France to manufacture drones in Ukraine following foreign minister's visit
"We are ready to expand joint defens[c]e production," Zelenskyy posted on X. "There is a decision by French companies to begin manufacturing drones in Ukraine – and this is highly valuable," he added.
Barrot, in a separate post, confirmed the move: 'French drones will be built on Ukrainian soil.' He added: 'That's what sovereignty and strategic trust look like.'
The announcement came during Barrot's two-day visit to Kyiv, aimed at reaffirming France's continued support for Ukraine amid Russia's ongoing invasion.
Just hours earlier, Russia launched one of its largest assaults on Ukraine in recent months. The attack killed two people and wounded 15, including a 12-year-old, Zelenskyy said in a separate post.
In a statement following the meeting, Zelenskyy said the two also discussed broader defence cooperation, including air defence capabilities, training Ukrainian troops, and the outcomes of recent Ramstein-format meetings. Barrot is also expected to have separate meetings with his Ukrainian counterpart, Andriy Sybiga, and the new Prime Minister, Yulia Svyrydenko.
The visit coincided with a video meeting of defence ministers from the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (UDCG), where participating countries pledged to improve coordination and strengthen NATO-backed support for Kyiv, according to a NATO press release.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated that, as announced last week, he and US President Donald Trump would boost support for Ukraine by unlocking additional US defence assets that NATO allies can contribute to.
"We continue to work closely...including through the new initiative that enables Allies new access to purchase US equipment for Ukraine via NATO," Rutte posted on X.
The meeting was led by British Defense Secretary John Healey and his German counterpart Boris Pistorius. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe, Gen. Alexus Grynkewich also took part.
Ukraine's new Defence Minister Denys Shmyhal called on the US to release air defence systems for purchase and urged European allies to finance the procurement, under the plan proposed by Trump.
(aw)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Euractiv
29 minutes ago
- Euractiv
Farmer protests could justify import bans under new EU-Ukraine deal
A revised trade deal between Brussels and Kyiv opens the door to legalising food import bans imposed by some EU countries, according to the legal text of the agreement. Details of the updated EU–Ukraine trade arrangement were published this week, more than a month after Brussels announced a deal had been reached – without releasing any accompanying documents at the time. The agreement grants Ukraine greater market access for certain agricultural products but stops short of the temporary full liberalisation offered in 2022 and extended into 2025 as part of the EU's economic support for the country after Russia's full-scale invasion. The EU is Ukraine's largest agricultural trading partner, absorbing more than half of its farm exports. The Ukrainian agribusiness estimates that losing tariff-free access could cost the country up to €3.5 billion annually. Crucially, the text allows either side to trigger safeguard measures if imports cause 'serious economic, societal, or environmental difficulties' at a regional or sectoral level. For the EU, such measures can be requested even if the disruption affects only one member state. In practice, this means farmer protests could be cited as a 'societal difficulty' to justify triggering the safeguards. Vague, vulnerable agreement Ukraine's agricultural sector, represented by UCAB, denounced the criteria as 'extremely vague' and 'vulnerable to political manipulation by protectionist farmer organizations and populist politicians.' 'Essentially, any member state can effectively suspend the agreement, most likely on its own territory,' said Nazar Bobitski, head of UCAB Brussels, in comments to Euractiv. He added that, de facto, the arrangement 'legalises unilateral import embargoes' which remain in place in Poland, Slovakia and Hungary. 'This spells a very bad omen for any other EU trading partner, as it shows that the EU Internal Market is to a great extent an illusion,' he stressed. The European Commission did not provide comment at the time of publication. The measures, however, are not automatic. The text requires both sides to engage in consultations for up to one month to seek a 'mutually acceptable solution.' If talks fail, safeguards can be imposed. Another clause allows for immediate action in 'exceptional circumstances,' skipping consultations altogether. Increased agricultural imports from Ukraine – a global farming powerhouse – have fuelled discontent across several EU countries, particularly those bordering the war-torn nation, with farmers staging protests, claiming the influx is undercutting local prices and threatening their livelihoods. In Brussels, the Commission delayed finalising the agreement until after Poland's pivotal presidential election, which resulted in a far-right victory regardless of the outcome. The deal still needs to be ratified by a qualified majority of member states in the Council. (adm, aw)
Euractiv
30 minutes ago
- Euractiv
Germany says it has priority for US-made Patriot air defence systems to backfill Ukraine aid
Germany will be prioritised for delivery of new American-made Patriot air defence systems after agreeing to supply Ukraine with their own batteries, the country's defence ministry said on Friday. Multiple NATO countries have pledged to send their own Patriot air defence systems to Ukraine over recent years to help the country fend off Russian air attacks, but that has sparked confusion over how quickly such weaponry can be replaced. 'It has been agreed with the US Department of Defence that Germany will be the first nation to receive newly produced Patriot systems of the latest generation in return' for their delivery to Ukraine, the German defence ministry stated on Friday. Ukraine has already received three Patriot systems from Germany and was promised five more. In addition, Germany is deploying two of their batteries to NATO's eastern flank. The new deal reprioritises US deliveries and has delayed the fulfilment of standing orders from Switzerland. Ukraine, under continued Russian air attacks, has been asking for more air defence capabilities for years. "We have requested ten," Zelenskyy said previously, adding that he has received official confirmation for two systems from Germany and one from Norway. The launchers of the new Patriot system will be delivered in the next few days, according to Germany. (jp)
Euractiv
8 hours ago
- Euractiv
Poland's president-elect sets tougher tone with Kyiv in first call with Zelenskyy
WARSAW – Poland's president-elect Karol Nawrocki urged Ukraine to take Polish historical grievances more seriously in his first official call with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, marking a clear shift in Warsaw's tone toward Kyiv ahead of his swearing-in on 6 August. Nawrocki, backed by the opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party, won the 1 June election after pledging to adopt a firmer stance on Ukraine's EU and NATO ambitions and to push for progress on unresolved historical disputes. Chief among these is the Volhynia massacre during World War II, when thousands of Poles were killed by the Ukrainian Insurgent Army. 'Karol Nawrocki stressed that he represents the voice of the Nation, which demands a change in Ukraine's approach to important and still unresolved historical issues. This needs to change,' Nawrocki 's spokesperson Rafał Leśkiewicz wrote on X. While Nawrocki shares political roots with outgoing President Andrzej Duda, his tone contrasts sharply with that of his predecessor, who remained one of Zelenskyy's closest allies after Russia's 2022 invasion. In November 2024, Polish and Ukrainian foreign ministers hailed progress on the historical dispute and said they were working toward the exhumation of victims. A year earlier, Duda and Zelenskyy jointly commemorated the 80th anniversary of the massacre. Despite the harder line, Nawrocki reaffirmed Poland's support for Ukraine's fight against Russian aggression. 'Russia is a neo-imperial and colonial state, ruled by a war criminal, Vladimir Putin. Therefore, Ukraine, which is fighting against the Kremlin regime, can count on Poland's support,' said Leśkiewicz. (de)
