Drone Coalition expands and gets stronger – new member states join, €2.75 billion allocated to support Ukraine

On Wednesday, May 28, during the Drone Summit, Minister of Defence of Republic of Latvia Andris Sprūds announced that Turkey and Belgium have expressed their intention to join the international Drone Coalition led by Latvia and the United Kingdom in support of Ukraine. Coalition member states have also committed to allocating €2.75 billion this year to support Ukraine.

“The international Drone Coalition is becoming increasingly stronger – we will be able to deliver more drones to Ukraine while simultaneously strengthening the defence industries of Latvia, the EU, and NATO countries. Our strength lies in unity, so new allies joining the coalition will enable us to provide Ukraine with the much-needed support in its fight against the aggressor,” emphasized defence minister Sprūds.

The defence minister also noted that coalition member states have collectively contributed approximately €180 million to the UK-led joint Drone Coalition procurement fund. Fund is intended for centralized drone technology procurements alongside each coalition member state’s national support measures.

Latvia’s planned support within the Drone Coalition this year is €20 million, allocated for drone purchases, with an additional €10 million earmarked for cooperation projects between Latvian and Ukrainian industries. Last year, Latvia also allocated €20 million for Ukraine support, delivering nearly 5,000 combat drones of various capacities.

Since the Drone Coalition’s establishment on February 14, 2024, its member states have provided significant support to Ukraine – reaching €1.8 billion in 2024 alone. In 2025, a total of €2.75 billion is planned to be allocated for Ukraine’s support, meaning that over two years the coalition has allocated €4.5 billion to Ukraine.

Drone coalition  consists of 18 official member states that have signed the Letter of Intent: Latvia, the United Kingdom, Australia, Czechia, Denmark, France, Estonia, Italy, New Zealand, Canada, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Ukraine, Germany and Sweden.

According to the Drone Coalition’s memorandum of understanding, the admission of new countries must be agreed upon by existing coalition member states. With Belgium and Turkey joining, the Drone Coalition will encompass 20 countries.

MoD Military Public Affairs Department
Media Relations Section
Phone: 67335067
E-mail: prese@mod.gov.lv