Ukraine Signs Major Deal with American Company to Produce Drones in 2025

In a new move to enhance Ukraine's defense capabilities, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced yesterday, Thursday, July 3, the signing of an agreement with the American company "Swift Bee" to produce hundreds of thousands of drones during the current year.

During his visit to Denmark, Zelensky explained through his social media accounts that the equipped drones will have various uses, including "interceptor drones to destroy enemy drones and their missiles, quadcopter drones for reconnaissance and modified firing, in addition to long-range attack drones".

Concluding his speech, he emphasized that "more of these capabilities will be available soon".

This announcement comes at a time when the US-Ukraine relationship has seen fluctuations in military support, as the Pentagon revealed changes on Wednesday in the policy of sending weapons to Ukraine.

Pentagon spokesperson Sean Barnell stated that the previous administration of Joe Biden was sending weapons and ammunition to Ukraine in large quantities "without even considering the available inventory", confirming that this changed under the current President Donald Trump, who focused on protecting US interests first.

Barnell added that the US Department of Defense is currently conducting a thorough review of its available military inventory, indicating that part of this work involves providing reports to the president to assess the quantity of available ammunition and where to send it.

Politico reported on Tuesday, citing informed sources, that the Pentagon had halted some shipments of air defense missiles and precision ammunition to Ukraine due to concerns about the depletion of the US inventory.

According to AFP, the White House confirmed the suspension of certain arms shipments, including air defense missiles, in a move clarified as prioritizing US interests.

White House Deputy Spokesperson Anna Kelly pointed out that "this decision came after a comprehensive review by the Department of Defense of the military aid provided by the United States to other countries around the world", but she affirmed that "the strength of the US military remains unquestionable".