KYIV, Ukraine — Former President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky are in talks over a sweeping drone technology deal that could reshape U.S. and Ukrainian military cooperation and close America’s growing gap in unmanned aerial warfare capabilities.
In an exclusive interview with The New York Post, Zelensky revealed the proposed agreement would see the U.S. purchase battlefield-proven Ukrainian drones in exchange for Ukraine buying American-made weapons — creating what he described as a “win-win” arrangement.
“The people of America need this technology in their arsenal,” Zelensky said, touting Ukraine’s drones as critical tools that have repeatedly breached Russian defenses during the three-year war. He called the deal a potential breakthrough not just for Ukraine, but for American defense and global security.
The proposal comes as U.S. defense officials and military experts raise alarms over the Pentagon’s lagging drone technology, particularly in comparison to Russia and China. Despite billions spent on modernization, American forces remain underprepared for drone-based warfare — a reality underscored during recent Department of Defense testing in Alaska, where several prototype UAVs failed to perform.
Meanwhile, Ukraine has rapidly evolved into a drone warfare leader. In one recent operation, dubbed “Spider Web,” Ukrainian forces launched 117 drones in a coordinated strike that destroyed multiple Russian bombers across four military airfields. Another drone mission struck a missile factory over 800 miles inside Russian territory.
In May, Ukraine achieved another milestone when a sea-based drone successfully downed a Russian Su-30 fighter jet in the Black Sea.
With drone warfare now at the forefront of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Zelensky says his country is ready to share its hard-earned knowledge with the U.S. and NATO. “We’re prepared to offer our experience to America and our European partners,” he said, noting ongoing discussions with Denmark, Norway, and Germany.
Inside the U.S., officials are pushing to speed up drone development. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently ordered a major overhaul to “cut red tape” and streamline the Pentagon’s drone production and deployment pipeline.
“We’re not giving American warfighters what they need to survive today’s warfare,” warned Trent Emeneker, who leads the Autonomy Portfolio at the Defense Innovation Unit. “If we had to go to war tomorrow, we would not be ready.”
The proposed U.S.-Ukraine drone partnership aims to change that — by fusing Ukrainian frontline expertise with American industrial muscle to prepare both nations for the next era of combat.
