WASHINGTON (Reuters) -President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy are considering a deal that involves Washington buying battlefield-tested Ukrainian drones in exchange for Kyiv purchasing weapons from the U.S., Zelenskiy said in an interview with the New York Post.
Zelenskiy said his latest talks with Trump focused on a deal that would help each country bolster its aerial technology.
Ukrainian drones have been able to strike targets as deep as 800 miles (1,300 km) into Russian territory.
“The people of America need this technology, and you need to have it in your arsenal,” Zelenskiy told The Post in the interview conducted Wednesday.
The Ukrainian leader said drones were the key tool that has allowed his country to fight off Russia’s invasion for more than three years.
“We will be ready to share this experience with America and other European partners,” he said. Ukraine was also in talks with Denmark, Norway and Germany, he said.
On Thursday, Zelenskiy announced unspecified future agreements with the United States which he said would strengthen his country, as he appeared in parliament to put forward his new government.
Next year’s U.S. defense and national security budget request boosts spending on small drones – in part because of lessons learned during Russia’s war in Ukraine, where unmanned aircraft have proven to be an integral part of low-cost, yet highly effective fighting.
(Reporting by Doina Chiacu;Editing by Tomasz Janowski)
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