Radio Liberty: Ukraine and U.S. Sign First Drone Export Agreement

Ukraine has signed its first bilateral agreement with the Pentagon to export Ukrainian-made drones to the United States.

According to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty journalist Alex Raufoglu, who cited two sources familiar with the matter, the agreement is a bilateral letter of intent that establishes the legal framework for future cooperation between Ukraine and theUnited States on drone technology and the export ofUkrainian drones for testing in the U.S.

The agreement marks the first formal arrangement of its kind between Kyiv and Washington.

Plans for the deal first emerged in May 2026, when the Financial Times reported that the two countries were negotiating an agreement to give the U.S. military access to Ukrainian combat drones that have been proven in real battlefield conditions.

Meanwhile, the letter of intent does not provide for automatic procurement or the transfer of technology. Instead, it establishes a legal framework for future joint programs and potential contracts.

Under the agreement, Ukraine will temporarily export its air-, land-, and sea-based unmanned systems to the United States, where the Pentagon will test and evaluate them for potential future use by the U.S. military.

The test results are also expected to help shape future requirements for unmanned platforms used by the U.S. Armed Forces.

Ukraine first proposed cooperation with the White House on unmanned technologies in August 2025, marking the beginning of discussions that ultimately led to the current agreement.

The proposal came after U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly praised Operation Spiderweb – Ukraine’s drone strike against Russia’s strategic aviation – during a private conversation.

Militarnyi previously reported that Trump said the United States would purchase drones fromUkraine.

He made the remarks during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Ankara, on the sidelines of the NATO summit.