European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, on a visit to Kyiv on 15 July 2026, launched a new EU-Ukraine Defence Industrial Partnership focused on drone cooperation, and accepted the first-ever Order of Europe from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Ukraine's Day of Statehood. The initiative, described as a 'Drone Deal', aims to combine Ukraine's battle-tested drone and anti-drone expertise with Europe's industrial scale for joint production and supply chain development. Von der Leyen stated that Ukraine has become a 'net security provider for Europe' and that the partnership sends a message that 'now is the time to invest in Ukraine' as an investment in common security.
In her speech at St Michael's Square, von der Leyen framed Ukraine's fight against Russia's aggression as an existential struggle for European freedoms and values. She recalled her 11th visit since the start of the invasion, referencing earlier trips to Bucha, Hostomel, and the Antonov Airport, and highlighted the survival of a statue of philosopher Hryhorii Skovoroda after a Russian missile strike on his museum in May 2022 as a symbol of Ukraine's unbreakable spirit. The speech contained concrete proposals in the form of the Defence Industrial Partnership, though it did not specify numerical targets, budget figures, or deadlines for the drone deal. The policy orientation shifts EU-Ukraine defence cooperation from a buyer-supplier relationship toward a joint production model, leveraging Ukrainian operational knowledge. On foreign policy, the speech was strongly conciliatory and supportive, reaffirming Ukraine's European identity and the EU's commitment to stand with Ukraine, while condemning Russia's aggression without offering new sanctions or military commitments.