Türkiye and Belgium have expressed their intention to join the international drone coalition supporting Ukraine, Latvia’s Defense Minister Andris Sprūds said on 28 May during a drone coalition summit.
An international alliance, established in February 2024 and led by Latvia and the United Kingdom, brings together over 18 member states to supply Ukraine with drones and related technologies. The Drone Coalition aims to strengthen Ukraine’s defense capabilities and support its fight against Russian aggression
“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,” Sprūds said.
He said that Türkiye and Belgium, joining the coalition, will enable the alliance “to provide Ukraine with the much-needed support in its fight against the aggressor.”
The drone coalition currently includes 18 member states. With Türkiye and Belgium joining, the coalition will expand to 20 countries. The admission of new members requires approval from existing coalition participants.
Coalition member states have contributed approximately 180 million euros ($204 mn) to a joint procurement fund managed by the United Kingdom, according to Latvia’s Defense Ministry. The fund enables centralized purchases of drone technology alongside individual national support measures from each member country.
Latvia announced it will allocate 20 million euros ($23 mn) for drone purchases in 2025. The country will provide an additional 10 million euros ($11 mn) for cooperation projects between Latvian and Ukrainian industries.
The drone coalition has provided substantial support to Ukraine since its establishment in February 2024. Member states delivered 1.8 billion euros ($2 bn) in assistance during 2024 alone. They plan to allocate 2.75 billion euros ($3 bn) for Ukraine support in 2025.
Over two years, the coalition has committed a total of 4.5 billion euros ($5 bn) to Ukraine, according to the Defense Ministry.
The coalition was founded on 14 February 2024, and is led by Latvia and the United Kingdom. Current members include Australia, Canada, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Ukraine, and the UK.
In March, the drone coalition allocated 20 million euros ($23 mn) to purchase tactical reconnaissance drones for Ukraine. Norway recently agreed to Ukraine’s request to direct a larger portion of its support funds toward Ukrainian drone production.