A leadership meeting is needed if peace is truly sought in Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said today at a joint press conference with the presidents of the European Commission and the European Council Antonio Costa, hosted by Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, BTA reports.
I hope to talk to US President Donald Trump in the coming days, he added regarding Washington's decision to limit the delivery of some military aid to Kiev. Zelensky called on the EU to continue providing funds for his country's defense from interest on seized Russian property.
He again insisted on strong sanctions against Moscow. Ukraine has done everything necessary to start EU accession negotiations. It is time to start negotiating, Zelensky urged.
The European family will not be complete without Ukraine, Prime Minister Frederiksen pointed out. We must stop thinking of aid to Ukraine as a gift, she added.
Von der Leyen noted that by the end of the year, the EU will provide Kiev with two million shells. She specified that the ammunition will be provided by the interest on Russian property seized.
According to Kostya, Russia is a threat not only to Europe. He expressed disappointment that Moscow not only does not support President Trump's efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, but is even escalating the war.
In the presence of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, a memorandum was signed in Denmark with the American company “Swift Beat“ for joint production of drones, especially interceptors, Ukrinform reported, citing a publication on the website of the Ukrainian presidency.
„In Denmark, in the presence of President Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and CEO of „Swift Beat“ Ltd. Eric Schmidt signed a memorandum of long-term strategic partnership. The document provides for the expansion of the company's production capacity and modern drones will be delivered to Ukraine as a priority under special conditions and at a special price,“ the statement said.
The partnership is expected to significantly increase the production of unmanned systems and hundreds of thousands of drones will be delivered this year, with even larger volumes planned for 2026.
„Swift Beat“ will produce interceptor drones for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which will be used to destroy Russian drones and missiles, quadcopters for reconnaissance, surveillance, fire control and logistics, as well as medium-range strike drones for combating enemy targets.
It is also planned to develop new innovative solutions, such as interceptors of cruise and ballistic missiles, automated weapons in turrets and reconnaissance platforms.
Zelensky stressed that the production of interceptor drones will be a top priority of the new partnership.
„The visit to Denmark begins with an important step for our defense. An agreement was reached on Ukrainian-American cooperation in the production of drones, including interceptor drones – "a crystal clear priority," the Ukrainian head of state wrote on Telegram.
“Today we will continue our work in Denmark and on new such agreements - focused on joint production, joint development and joint defense,” Zelensky added.
“Swift Beat“ is an American company with a significant presence in Ukraine, Ukrinform reports. The company specializes in the production of autonomous drones with artificial intelligence and actively cooperates with Ukrainian engineers and the armed forces, as well as tests drones in Ukraine.