Ireland in talks to use Ukrainian drone technology for maritime security

Résumé détaillé

Ireland is in talks to use drone technology from Ukraine for maritime security, Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said.

Ireland is in talks to use drone technology from Ukraine for maritime security, Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said.

Following a bilateral meeting with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Dublin on Wednesday, the Taoiseach said the Department of Defence is exploring a joint memorandum with its Ukrainian counterpart on drone manufacturing and technology.

He said this was given Ukrainian expertise in unmanned drones, with Ireland able to avail of Ukrainian technology for unmanned drones which could be used for maritime security.

Zelenskiy said his country is “ready for co-production” of drones with Ireland and that he expected “our drone deal with Ireland to become operational”.

Zelenskiy is in Dublin to attend a meeting of the European Political Community (EPC), which Ireland is hosting as part of it presidency of the council of the European Union.

At a press conference following a meeting between the two leaders on Wednesday evening, Martin emphasised that any peace agreement must recognise the sovereignty of Ukraine, its territorial integrity and the right of the Ukrainian people to determine their own future.

“We have put Ukraine at the heart of our European presidency programme,” the Taoiseach said, adding that “as much progress as possible” has been made on accession talks, while pledging that Ireland will do all it can to open the two remaining “negotiating clusters” in this process before its presidency ends.

Zelenskiy said it would be “an extremely important result” to do so by the end of the year.

US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are expected to fly into Dublin on Thursday to brief the Ukrainian president, having travelled from peace talks in Abu Dhabi to Moscow, where they were to meet with Russian president Vladimir Putin.

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