The Netherlands is allocating 248 million euros to fund the production of drones for Ukraine. This decision was announced following the Ramstein meeting on April 15, 2026.
It is interesting to note that funding is provided for both Ukrainian-made and Dutch-made UAVs. It is emphasized that this close cooperation creates a mutually beneficial situation for both countries.
Read more: Ukrainian Fire Point Complains About Complex Dutch Bureaucracy That Blocked Production Plans
It may seem that this refers to the production of Ukrainian drones in the Netherlands. Such a partnership allows part of the military aid to be offset by involving local industry, while also strengthening capabilities in the drone sector.
The relevant agreements regarding the country's participation in the Build with Ukraine program were signed in early December 2025. However, no joint ventures or technology transfers have been publicly announced yet.
It is likely that this will resemble the cooperation with Germany, where Ukrainian companies are actively seeking partners to manufacture drones. This trend is now spreading to other sectors, such as the missile industry, as seen in the collaboration between Diehl Defence and the Luch Design Bureau and the Fire Point.
Such projects help scale up domestic development, provide additional and safer industrial sites, and give countries a stronger incentive to fund military aid when their defense industry is involved. This also makes it possible to incorporate foreign expertise to improve the equipment of the Defense Forces.
There are plans to open 10 facilities across Europe in 2026 to manufacture Ukrainian drones in partnership with local firms. Some of these have already been announced, suggesting that more projects may follow.
At the Ramstein meeting on April 15, the United Kingdom announced its largest-ever UAV aid package, including up to 120,000 units. This will include domestically developed models as well, so it is possible that the Netherlands will follow suit.
Read more: Ukraine Expands IRIS-T Missile Supply, Develops F-16 Solutions with Diehl Defence
