Germany Expands Defense Industry Cooperation With Ukraine

Germany plans to deepen defense industry cooperation with Ukraine and encourage German companies to expand joint projects with Ukrainian manufacturers. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul outlined the approach during an August 22 visit to Kyiv, where defense production, drones and air defense featured prominently in talks with Ukrainian officials.

The two countries already cooperate on joint drone production, including the Linza attack drone and Termit ground drone, according to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also said German and Ukrainian teams are working on a separate Drone Deal agreement that could be signed in the near future.

The discussions indicate that Berlin and Kyiv are moving beyond a relationship centered primarily on German deliveries of military equipment. Joint development and production are becoming a larger component of bilateral defense cooperation as Germany seeks access to Ukrainian wartime experience and Ukraine looks for European industrial capacity and financing.

Germany wants more joint defense projects with Ukraine

Wadephul said Germany has experience implementing joint defense projects with Ukraine and wants to develop further initiatives.

Berlin also intends to encourage German companies to work more closely with Ukrainian defense enterprises. The approach could connect Germany’s established industrial base with Ukrainian manufacturers that have accelerated development cycles during more than four years of war with Russia.

Sybiha said Germany was the first country with which Ukraine began joint drone production. He identified the Linza attack drone and Termit ground drone as programs where cooperation is already expanding.

Publicly available information remains limited on production volumes, industrial participants and technical specifications for the two systems. Neither government announced new production targets during Wadephul’s visit.

The emerging model nevertheless differs from conventional military assistance. Instead of transferring only finished weapons from German inventories or industry, the two countries are increasingly looking at production arrangements that combine Ukrainian systems and operational experience with German capital, manufacturing capacity and access to European supply chains.

Zelenskyy says Germany and Ukraine are preparing a Drone Deal

Zelenskyy said after meeting Wadephul that Ukrainian and German teams are working on an agreement under a Drone Deal format.

The Ukrainian president indicated that the two sides want to sign the agreement in the near future, although he did not announce a specific date or disclose its financial value.

The initiative comes as Ukraine continues to expand domestic production of unmanned systems across air and ground domains. Ukrainian manufacturers have used rapid battlefield feedback to modify drones and introduce new systems on significantly compressed development cycles.

Germany, meanwhile, has increasingly treated Ukraine not only as a recipient of military assistance but also as a source of technology and operational knowledge.

The German Federal Foreign Office described Ukraine as an important security partner and identified Ukrainian experience with hybrid threats, modern warfare and societal resilience as relevant to Germany.

Berlin said the August 22 talks would focus on strengthening military capabilities, exchanging experience and jointly developing long-term security structures.

Air defense remains central to German support

Air defense was another major subject during Wadephul’s meetings in Kyiv.

Zelenskyy identified strengthening Ukrainian air defense as the leading defense priority discussed with the German minister. Wadephul separately indicated that talks with partners on securing additional interceptor missiles for Ukraine’s Patriot air defense systems were progressing.

Germany has become one of Ukraine’s most important European partners for ground-based air defense since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

The August 22 discussions also covered the Freyja initiative, a Ukrainian proposal focused on countering the Russian ballistic missile threat. Kyiv views the initiative as relevant beyond Ukrainian territory because Russian ballistic missile production and capabilities also affect the broader European security environment.

Ukraine and Germany additionally discussed measures aimed at restricting Russia’s ability to manufacture ballistic missiles, including sanctions targeting relevant supply chains.

Ukrainian battlefield technology is becoming part of German security policy

The industrial element of Wadephul’s visit illustrates a broader shift in European defense cooperation with Ukraine.

Ukraine has accumulated extensive operational experience with unmanned aerial vehicles, electronic warfare, ground robots, long-range strike systems and defenses against Russian drones and missiles. European governments increasingly see that experience as relevant to their own force modernization.

Germany’s interest in joint production creates a potential two-way relationship. Ukraine can gain access to financing, manufacturing infrastructure and European industrial networks, while German companies can work with systems and technologies developed under continuous operational conditions.

This approach could also support production outside Ukraine, reducing the vulnerability of manufacturing capacity to Russian strikes while increasing the ability to produce Ukrainian-designed systems at European facilities.

However, the governments have not disclosed enough information to determine the scale of planned joint production or how much manufacturing would take place in Germany compared with Ukraine.

The next concrete milestone could be the planned Drone Deal referenced by Zelenskyy. Its scope, participating companies, financing structure and production targets will determine whether the initiative represents an expansion of existing projects or a broader framework for German-Ukrainian unmanned systems production.

Questions about Germany-Ukraine defense cooperation

Is Germany producing drones jointly with Ukraine?

Ukraine says Germany was the first country with which it began joint drone production. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha identified the Linza attack drone and Termit ground drone among projects being scaled up.

What is the Germany-Ukraine Drone Deal?

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on August 22 that German and Ukrainian teams are preparing an agreement in a Drone Deal format. He said it could be signed in the near future, but neither side has publicly disclosed its value, production targets or participating companies.

What defense technologies are Germany and Ukraine working on?

Current cooperation includes unmanned systems, while the August 22 talks also covered air defense, Patriot interceptor missiles and measures addressing Russia’s ballistic missile capabilities. Germany has said it wants broader cooperation with Ukraine on military capabilities and modern warfare technologies.

Why does Germany want closer defense industry cooperation with Ukraine?

Berlin considers Ukraine an important security partner and sees its wartime experience with drones, hybrid threats and modern warfare as relevant to German and European security. Joint projects also provide Ukraine with access to German industrial capacity while giving German industry greater exposure to Ukrainian defense technologies developed under combat conditions.