Germany, Ukraine Sign Agreement to Advance Defense Technology by Funding Start-ups

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and Ukrainian Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov signed a letter of intent on May 11 to deepen cooperation in the development of defence technologies.

The two countries will fund innovative start-ups from both countries for various technologies related to defense including those born from a need to counter Russia’s war against Ukraine.

The signing came on the same day Pistorius arrived in Kyiv on an unannounced visit, which was set to focus on expanding defense cooperation between the two countries, Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform reported.

The participants announced the launch of "Brave Germany," a joint initiative aimed at advancing defense technologies and supporting innovative startups, according to Ukrinform.

Backed by Ukraine's Brave1 defense-tech platform, the project will provide grants to Ukrainian and German companies operating in the defense sector.

"Today, Germany is the world's leading provider of security assistance to Ukraine, accounting for about one-third of all aid to our country," Fedorov said.

"I would also like to express my gratitude for the quality of this support and for the assistance provided in key areas of our defence — first and foremost, air defence."

Speaking about future defence cooperation with Germany, Fedorov said Kyiv and Berlin signed a major contract on April 14 for the procurement of hundreds of missiles for Patriot air defence systems, with Germany already beginning to finance the deal.

Joint development of long-range drones

Germany and Ukraine also plan to jointly develop drones with varying ranges, including systems capable of traveling up to 1,500 kilometers (930 miles).

Pistorius said that for Ukraine, "the development of long-range drones is of immense importance for striking back at Russian military infrastructure."

The German defense minister also pointed to Ukraine's extensive use of drones capable of overwhelming enemy air defenses — a capability "that NATO is also working intensively on."

Pistorius added that Berlin also plans to conduct a detailed study of Ukraine's DELTA battle management and situational awareness system in the second half of the year, exploring the possibility of integrating it or using specific components for the German Army's needs.