Full Breakdown
Western Rigidities Hamper Ukraine’s Defence Cooperation
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Issue: Stalled Partnerships and Production Delays
A new Kyiv School of Economics report, *Beyond Aid: Making Ukraine Defence Cooperation Work*, finds that 180 business-to-business defence partnerships have been forged between Ukrainian firms and Western companies, yet 22 % are stalled. One high-profile example is an artillery-shell plant announced by German defence giant Rheinmetall; permits have been delayed and the site relocated by Ukrainian authorities, leaving the factory idle. Experts say that cumbersome intellectual-property registration and unclear export mechanisms further impede joint production, limiting the flow of weapons to the front lines.
Background & Context: Ukraine’s Rapid Drone Innovation
Since 2022, Ukraine has shifted from conventional artillery to a drone-centric approach. Investment in drone warfare rose to roughly $1 billion in 2023—ten times the 2022 level. Production surged from one million first-person-view (FPV) drones in 2024 to over three million in 2025, with an estimated eight million slated for 2026, giving Ukraine a 1.6-to-1 advantage over Russian drone numbers. Analysts attribute this speed to decentralized command structures that empower junior officers to adapt tactics quickly.
Official Statements & Responses
Chris Pool, a visiting fellow at King’s College London’s Centre for Statecraft and National Security, warns that lengthy intellectual-property registration renders Ukrainian modifications obsolete and raises ownership questions for upgraded systems. He also notes a cultural mismatch, observing that British military leaders view Ukraine’s decentralized, drone-focused tactics as “not relevant” to their own doctrines.
Konstantinos Grivas, an instructor at the Hellenic Military Academy, emphasizes that “decentralised command” is the most critical factor in Ukraine’s battlefield success.
Oleksandr Danylyuk, former senior adviser to Ukraine’s defence and foreign ministries and now a land-warfare expert at the Royal United Services Institute, argues that Western armies have not shifted infantry toward drone-based weapons, rendering traditional troops “obsolete.” He also cautions that dwindling Western funding and EU-tied regulations jeopardize Ukraine’s long-term financial stability.
Verbatim Quotes
- “What happens If the product ends up with a Ukrainian brigade and that brigade then modifies it and adapts it to new developments? Who then owns the intellectual property in the improved product? Does the Ukrainian state have a stake at that point?” — Pool. Export
- “The most important thing is decentralised command. Ukraine has implemented this more than anyone else,” — Konstantinos Grivas
- “In the UK, there’s a certain amount of arrogance that the British army wouldn’t fight like this, and this is all very interesting, but ultimately, not relevant to us,” — Pool. The Ukrainian
- “Faced with teams who are presenting a new technology or navigation that doesn’t rely on GPS, for example, there isn’t that curiosity to find out what’s going on and how this could be adapted to the British Army,” — Pool. Western
- “I don’t see any real chance for any positive transformations in the West,” — Oleksandr Danylyuk
These statements illustrate the clash between Ukraine’s fast-moving, drone-driven warfare model and the slower, regulation-bound approaches of many Western militaries, a gap that experts say threatens both Ukraine’s defence effectiveness and Europe’s preparedness for modern conflict.