Ukraine Agrees Defense Deal With Germany to Help in Fight Against Russia

UKRAINE – Ukraine and Germany are moving forward with plans to jointly produce advanced drones and other battle-tested defense systems, as Kyiv looks to scale up its fight against Russia’s invasion.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the effort is part of a broader push to strengthen Ukraine’s military capacity, while German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called the partnership a clear signal of continued support to Russia.

Officials say Ukraine has the ability to produce significantly more military equipment than it currently deploys but lacks the funding to do so. A major boost could come from a proposed 90 billion euro loan from the European Union, which would help expand production.