President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the surplus of production capacities in Ukraine for some types of weapons reaches 50%. Therefore, according to him, all details regarding arms exports have already been agreed upon at the level of state institutions.
He announced this following a meeting on key issues of Ukrainian arms exports.
The Head of State noted that currently Ukrainian security expertise and weapons that have been tested by war are of interest to all partners who are able to provide their “real level of protection.”
He recalled that Kyiv offered international partners a special format of cooperation — Drone Deal. Drone Deal is a special format of an international security agreement developed by Ukraine to combine Ukrainian military expertise with the production capacities of partners. It is a comprehensive system that includes joint production of UAVs, procurement of equipment and export of Ukrainian weapons, aimed at strengthening defense and a new stage of partnership. . These are special agreements on the production and supply of Ukrainian drones, missiles, ammunition, military equipment, software, integration with defense systems, as well as providing expertise and technological exchange needed by Ukraine.
Zelensky says he has approved the directions for such interstate work and the processing of automatic permits for businesses to export arms.
“The procedure is absolutely clear: at the interstate level, based on the principle of reciprocity, we define the framework for security work through an appropriate agreement, then the process begins at the level of state institutions and manufacturers. We simplify bureaucratic procedures, maintain a sufficient level of export control, and launch practical content for the work of companies,” the president said.
According to him, now Ukrainian companies will have “a real opportunity to enter the market of partner countries.”
“Conditioned by the right of our military to take the necessary amount of weapons first. The surplus of production capacities in Ukraine for some types of weapons reaches 50%, and this is a direct result of our state investments in the defense industry of Ukraine and our cooperation with partners,” Zelensky said.
In addition, the head of state stated that he had instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, intelligence, and the Security Service of Ukraine to determine a list of countries to which the export of Ukrainian weapons is impossible due to their cooperation with the Russian Federation.
“The National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine will coordinate export processes and will be the guarantor that the needs of the Defense and Security Forces of Ukraine in weapons are met first and foremost, and the surplus is sent for export – what manufacturers can produce in excess of the state order in Ukraine,” he said.
Also, according to him, the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine will determine the volume of weapons needed for the Ukrainian army.
“I instructed government officials and the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine to present to the public the necessary information regarding the details of the process of exporting our weapons,” the president added.
Earlier, an Interdepartmental Commission on Defense Industry and Technologies was created at the National Security and Defense Council. The President approved the regulations on its work. Among its tasks: proposals for the activities of the Ukrainian defense-industrial complex and a special format for cooperation with Kyiv's Drone Deal partners.
About arms exports
On February 8, Zelensky announced that Ukraine is opening domestically produced weapons export centers in European countries, of which there will be ten by the end of 2026.
Then he also said that currently there are about 450 companies producing drones in Ukraine. Of these, about 50, according to the president, are market leaders that need investment. So 2026 will be the year of investments in Ukrainian technologies, primarily in UAVs.
Back in September 2025, the president announced the preparation of an “important decision” regarding the controlled export of Ukrainian weapons, and already in December last year he announced the opening of the first export office in Berlin.