Norway and France have signed the Narvik Agreement, a bilateral defence pact covering mutual military assistance, Arctic cooperation, defence industry ties and participation in French-led nuclear deterrence talks.
Norway has signed the CAVS Framework Agreement, allowing serial procurement of 6×6 armoured vehicles while Lithuania has decided to buy 936 vehicles at an estimated cost of €1.5 billion.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejected a proposal for special EU associate status and renewed calls for full membership, saying Ukraine should have equal rights and a complete role within the bloc.
Finland says it will exceed NATO’s 1.5 percent target for defence- and security-related spending in 2026, reporting an estimated 2.4 percent of GDP under the framework. The government said spending will include preparedness, resilience and homeland defence-related activities beyond the Ministry of Defence.
Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz has proposed a new EU “associate member” status for Ukraine that would bring Kiev closer to EU institutions and security arrangements while delaying full membership rights.
Germany and Ukraine will expand defence cooperation with joint work on drones, air defence and battlefield systems. German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius described the relationship as a long-term strategic partnership.
Sweden is conducting the Aurora 26 military exercise with NATO allies and Ukraine, focusing on the defence of Gotland and the Baltic Sea region. The drills involve 18,000 personnel and test allied reinforcement, logistics and drone warfare cooperation.
The European Commission has opened applications for founding members of a new EU-Ukraine Drone Alliance aimed at improving European drone and counter-drone capabilities. The initiative will bring together industry, innovators and military users from Europe and Ukraine.
Germany’s chancellor said Ukraine’s path to EU membership is key to ending the war with Russia and suggested ‘part of Ukrainian territory will no longer be Ukrainian.’
Norway and Ukraine have signed an agreement to begin joint production of Ukrainian drones in Norway under the “Build with Ukraine” initiative. The deal includes industrial cooperation, research, and supply chain development, with deliveries expected before summer.
Norway and Ukraine have agreed to expand defence cooperation with a focus on drone production, including enabling Ukrainian drones to be built in Norway. The deal also covers joint development, technology sharing, and scaling up air defence and military production.
Sweden will conduct Aurora 26, its largest military exercise of the year, from 27 April to 13 May. The drills will involve over 16,000 personnel and allied forces, focusing on reinforcement operations, coordination, and defence planning under NATO frameworks.
Germany and Ukraine have signed new defence deals covering missiles, drones and air defence. Berlin also backed Kyiv’s EU bid and called for the release of EU funds to strengthen Ukraine’s long-term security.
Ukrspecsystems has opened a £200 million drone production facility in Suffolk, creating up to 500 jobs and expanding UK-based manufacturing to support Ukraine’s Armed Forces. The site will produce surveillance and related drone systems as part of ongoing UK military assistance.
The UK government has launched Project Nightfall to develop a new ground-launched ballistic missile for Ukraine with a range of more than 500 kilometres. The programme aims to deliver test missiles within 12 months and support long-range strike capability and comes as Russia carried out a strike on Ukraine last week using the Oreshnik system.
