Ukraine and Slovenia are preparing a possible “Drone Deal” agreement, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said after meeting Slovenian Foreign and European Affairs Minister Tone Kajzer and Defense Minister Valentin Hajdinjak in Kyiv on Sept. 17. The countries discussed initial work on the arrangement and potential joint defense projects, but neither side announced a signed agreement, funding package, production contract or timetable for completion.1 2
Ukraine’s presidential office said Slovenian company representatives also joined the meeting. The sides discussed joint projects, production facilities and broader cooperation, while Slovenia expressed interest in Ukraine’s combat experience and expertise. Zelenskyy also thanked Slovenia for a $50 million contribution to the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List, or PURL, initiative; that contribution is distinct from the prospective Drone Deal.1
Zelenskyy said the countries were working on the agreement’s preparation and had discussed early results and potential projects. Interfax-Ukraine reported that Ukraine’s Drone Deal framework can cover partner-specific work in air defense, drone technology scaling, training and defense-industrial production. Those categories describe the framework; they do not establish that Slovenia has agreed to any particular project.2
Ukraine has used the Drone Deal label for several forms of long-term defense-industrial cooperation. In April, Ukraine and the Netherlands signed a joint declaration to begin work on a Drone Deal, and a separate licensing agreement initiated drone co-production. No comparable declaration, licensing agreement or production arrangement with Slovenia was announced in the Sept. 17 records.3
Defender Media reported Sept. 18 that no expected signing timeframe had been disclosed. Its report cited the Ukrainian presidential office and described Slovenia’s interest in Ukraine’s experience and knowledge.4
The original LinkedIn lead was posted by Defender Media.5