Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky disclosed that the United States and Ukraine are moving forward with plans to establish a drone manufacturing facility on American soil, part of a broader defense agreement that merges Ukraine's battlefield-honed drone technology with U.S. industrial capacity.
In an interview with far-right influencer Laura Loomer, a vocal supporter of President Donald Trump, Zelensky described the project as a mutual benefit. “Important technology. This is what we have. And America has great technology. Our drone deal is win-win,” he said in the conversation aired Friday. “We will build a great factory in the United States. We want to have lines of production.”
The announcement builds on an initial drone cooperation pact between the two nations. Ukraine has been aggressively expanding its unmanned aerial systems amid the ongoing war with Russia, now in its fourth year, and has sought to deepen ties with the Trump administration while showcasing its rapid innovations in drone warfare.
Zelensky told Loomer that Ukrainian drone capabilities continue to evolve, with some systems now able to operate at ranges exceeding 1,800 miles. Engineers are working to push that distance even further, he added, underscoring Kyiv's focus on asymmetric warfare as a strategic lever against Moscow's conventional advantages.
A White House official confirmed to Reuters that the specifics of the agreement are still being negotiated ahead of Zelensky's planned meeting with President Trump on Tuesday. The talks come as Ukraine's asymmetric campaign increasingly shapes the broader conflict, with drone strikes hitting deep inside Russian territory and disrupting logistics.
Earlier this week, Reuters reported that six Ukrainian companies have received authorization to export roughly 100 drones each to the United States as part of the Pentagon's Drone Dominance program. Ukrainian media also indicated that the two countries signed a statement of intent outlining the framework for joint production, though the full terms remain undisclosed.
The partnership reflects a shift in Washington's approach, moving from simply supplying drones to co-producing them with a partner that has tested its systems in real combat. The move could also bolster U.S. industrial base capacity at a time when drone attacks have become a hallmark of modern warfare, including recent drone attacks on US bases in Erbil.
Zelensky met with Loomer in Kyiv this week after the influencer, who had long opposed U.S. military aid to Ukraine, reversed her stance. Loomer said experiencing air raid sirens firsthand during her visit changed her perspective and issued an apology to Ukraine and its government for her past critical comments. Her meeting with Zelensky was covered separately as a Trump ally meeting the Ukrainian leader.
The drone factory plan is the latest sign of deepening defense cooperation between Washington and Kyiv, even as some Republican lawmakers have pushed to cut aid. The initiative could also have implications for global energy markets, as Ukraine's drone strikes have targeted Russian oil infrastructure, part of a broader strategy to starve Russia's gas pumps.
