Zelenskyy and Latvian President Discuss Drone Deal Cooperation on Unmanned Systems

What happened

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has spoken by phone with Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs to discuss cooperation under the Drone Deal, a framework aimed at collaboration on unmanned systems development, according to Zelenskyy's statement on X (Twitter) reported by European Pravda.

Outside Brief is treating this as a source-led account. Any disputed responsibility, casualty figure, battlefield claim or single-source assertion should be treated as unconfirmed/hearsay unless confirmed by another reliable source or a named official. During the call, Rinkēvičs commended the Ukrainian team of experts currently working in Latvia, a praise Zelenskyy reciprocated by reaffirming Ukraine's readiness to share defense expertise and battle-tested equipment with allied countries. Zelenskyy also expressed gratitude toward Latvia for increasing its contribution to the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) programme, enabling procurement of US weapons for Ukraine to mitigate Russian attacks.

Rinkēvičs congratulated Ukraine on the launch of its first EU accession negotiating cluster, while Zelenskyy emphasized that Latvia supports swiftly opening the remaining clusters. The two leaders also aligned their positions on upcoming NATO Summit plans and other strategic partner-level discussions.

Known from the source

• Zelenskyy and Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs held a phone call discussing the Drone Deal cooperation.
• Rinkēvičs praised the Ukrainian experts currently in Latvia.
• Latvia recently increased its contribution to the Ukraine Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) programme.
• Ukraine opened its first EU accession negotiating cluster.
• Ukraine and Latvia signed a drone cooperation agreement on 9 June 2026.

What remains unclear

This call follows recent practical cooperation milestones, including an agreement signed on 9 June between Ukraine and Latvia on drones. Earlier in June, Ukrainian and Latvian defense ministers met to outline joint efforts to develop unmanned systems and bolster Baltic defenses against potential risks posed by stray Ukrainian drones.

What remains unclear: Confirm whether the central claim is corroborated; until then treat it as unconfirmed/hearsay. Verification of Latvia's exact contribution details to the PURL programme. Clarification on Ukraine's expert assistance to Baltic states regarding drone defenses. Updates or official statements on the progress of the Drone Deal implementation.

Evidence note

This story contains report-led claims. The article keeps those claims attributed and treats them as unconfirmed/hearsay unless independently corroborated.

Original source: Ukrainska Pravda English. Open the source.