Ukraine, Denmark sign deal to launch Ukrainian military production on Danish soil
Kyiv and Copenhagen signed a landmark agreement on July 4 that allows Ukrainian defense companies to open production facilities in Denmark, Strategic Industries Minister Herman Smetanin announced.
“This is a unique case of international cooperation for the Ukrainian defense industry,” Smetanin wrote on Facebook, following the signing ceremony in Copenhagen alongside Danish Industry Minister Morten Bodskov.
The deal marks the first time Ukrainian defense technologies will be exported abroad specifically for supply to Ukraine’s own Armed Forces, he said.
A year ago, Denmark became the first country to fund weapons production by Ukrainian manufacturers. Now, it has become the first to host Ukrainian arms production lines on its territory, Smetanin added.
“Today, it has become the first country to which Ukraine exports its own defense technologies for production, scaling, and supply to the Ukrainian army,” he said.
The agreement is part of Ukraine’s broader effort to internationalize its defense production. President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on June 21 that Kyiv would soon begin exporting defense technologies and opening weapons production lines in partner countries.
To scale up domestic and international production, Zelensky has called on foreign partners to finance new projects and match Ukraine’s rapidly growing manufacturing capacity.
Denmark has been a key backer of Ukraine since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. In February 2024, Copenhagen signed a 10-year bilateral security agreement with Kyiv, pledging long-term defense cooperation until Ukraine secures NATO membership.
The Kyiv IndependentKateryna Hodunova