The Trump administration has not yet finalized a major drone agreement with Ukraine, a delay that concerns military experts monitoring U.S. efforts to modernize its drone capabilities. Negotiations between the two countries have been underway since at least September, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky repeatedly calling for Washington to complete the deal.
Zelensky outlined the issue during an appearance on CBS Face the Nation, explaining that Ukraine had already accommodated American testing preferences. "The US wanted to test all types of our drones. We agreed to the way they wanted to test, train with, and use our systems in the air, on land, and at sea. But we still don't have a bilateral drone deal," he said.
The Ukrainian president emphasized the potential benefits of cooperation, noting that American companies possess advanced artificial intelligence technologies that Ukraine lacks. "In turn, we have many things they don't have, due to our extensive experience on the battlefield. I think this cooperation can be huge," Zelensky stated, while acknowledging that the agreement requires Trump's approval to move forward.
Trump has been dismissive of Ukraine's drone expertise, claiming the United States does not need Ukrainian assistance in this area. However, this position contradicts developments in the Middle East, where multiple countries are actively pursuing deals to acquire Ukrainian defensive drones and training for their personnel. These nations have faced repeated Iranian attacks using the same Shahed drones that Russia deploys against Ukraine.
Zelensky noted that Ukraine has already secured drone agreements with countries in the Middle East and Europe. "Now we are preparing a big drone deal with the EU. I hope we will reach the same agreement with our American partners," he said.
The delay comes as Ukraine continues to demonstrate its drone capabilities in combat. On Sunday, Ukrainian forces struck multiple Russian energy infrastructure targets, including the Saratov oil refinery in southwestern Russia and the Lazarevo pumping station in the Kirov region northeast of Moscow, located more than 1,200 kilometers from Ukrainian-controlled territory. Ukrainian forces also attacked a fuel depot in the Rostov region.
Russia responded with its own drone strikes across Ukraine, targeting civilian areas and energy facilities. One person died in Chernihiv after a Russian drone hit a parking lot, while attacks on the city left 40,000 people without power. Russian drones also struck Dnipro and an oil refinery in the Rivne region.
Meanwhile, Zelensky announced that Ukraine had received a new Iris-T missile launcher from Germany and appealed to allies for additional air defense ammunition. He emphasized the need for more missiles to strengthen Ukraine's ability to counter Russian aerial attacks.