US President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky are considering a deal that would involve Washington purchasing battle-tested Ukrainian drones in exchange for Kiev acquiring American weapons, the Ukrainian leader said in an interview with the newspaper. "New York Post", Reuters reported.
Zelensky said his recent talks with Trump focused on a deal to help both countries develop their aviation technologies.
Ukrainian drones are capable of striking targets 1,300 km deep in Russian territory.
"The American people need this technology, and you must have it in your arsenal," Zelensky said in an interview with "New York Post" on Wednesday.
The Ukrainian leader added that drones are a key weapon that has allowed his country to fight off the Russian invasion for more than three years.
"We are ready to share this experience with America and our European partners," the Ukrainian president said. He specified that Ukraine is also negotiating with Denmark, Norway and Germany on the issue.
Zelensky announced today, during the presentation of the new Ukrainian government to parliament, unspecified future agreements with the United States that will make Ukraine stronger.
Next year's US defense and national security budget foresees an increase in spending on small drones, partly due to the lessons of the war in Ukraine, in which drones have proven to be a cheap but effective and indispensable part of combat operations.