Zelenskyy says Ukraine has a 'drone deal' with Canada in the works

Prime Minister Mark Carney meets with the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy during the 8th European Political Community Summit in Yerevan, Armenia, on Monday, May 4, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

OTTAWA — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says his country has started preparations for a military drone deal with Canada.

In a post on social media, he says 20 countries are already working with Ukraine on similar deals.

The Canadian Press has reached out to National Defence Minister David McGuinty and Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand for comment.

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s office said last August that the defence departments in Canada and Ukraine had signed a letter of intent “to co-produce defence materials in both countries,” but did not refer specifically to drones.

Ukraine has talked about signing export deals with other countries to supply them with the advanced drone technology it has refined since Russia launched its full-scale invasion four years ago, and to build drones in joint ventures.

Canadian officials testified last November that they had seen little progress on efforts to find economic opportunities for Canadian firms in Ukraine in sectors like drone manufacturing, in part because those companies were worried about the physical safety of their staff and investments.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 12, 2026.

Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press