Joint statement by NSDC Secretary Rustem Umerov and Italian Minister of Defense Guido Crosetto in Rome

Today in Rome, the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting with the Minister of Defence of the Italian Republic, Guido Crosetto, during which the Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine, Rustem Umerov, and Minister Crosetto reaffirmed the shared commitment of Ukraine and Italy to strengthening bilateral cooperation in the field of defence. Both sides aim to build a stable, long-term partnership that contributes to peace and stability in Europe.

Ukraine expresses appreciation for the political, military, and diplomatic support Italy has provided since Russia’s full-scale invasion. Italy’s solidarity has contributed to Ukraine’s resilience and to broader efforts to preserve European peace and stability. In this context, both sides underline their willingness to continue dialogue on ways to further develop cooperation in a pragmatic and mutually beneficial manner.

Future cooperation will cover several areas, such as capacity building, exchanges of experience and lessons learned, and industrial cooperation in multiple sectors, including air defence, unmanned systems, ammunition, and maritime domains, among others.

Collaboration could involve joint research, technology cooperation, industrial partnerships, and investment initiatives, with the aim of expanding dialogue in areas relevant to modern defence, such as logistics, cybersecurity, and the protection of critical infrastructure.

The Parties are working toward a Strategic Defence Partnership framework (known as Drone Deal) intended to outline shared objectives, possible areas of cooperation, and mechanisms for periodic review. This framework would provide a structured basis for continued dialogue and the gradual development of joint initiatives.

Both sides reaffirm the importance of the relationship between Ukrainian Defence and Italian Defence and express their intention to continue developing cooperation in a balanced, mutually beneficial, and sustainable manner.