Ukraine and France launched a new initiative called Brave France for the development of defense technologies. Under the program, a total of 20 million euros in grants will be provided to Ukrainian and French defense companies.
The agreement was signed during the Eurosatory 2026 defense exhibition held in Paris. The signing ceremony was attended by Patrick Aufort, Director of the French Defense Innovation Agency, and Iryna Zabolotna, Operations Director of Brave1; French Minister of the Armed Forces Catherine Vautrin was also present at the ceremony.
Fund to be equally shared by both nations
The program's financing will be equally split between the two parties. Accordingly, both France and Ukraine will each contribute 10 million euros.
According to Brave1's statement, the maximum amount that can be awarded in a single grant will be 1 million euros. The first phase of the call for applications is planned to open in September 2026.
Focus on missiles, unmanned systems, and air defense
Within the scope of the initiative, it was stated that companies will work on missile systems, unmanned platforms, and air defense solutions. The program aims to take the defense industry cooperation between the two countries to a more advanced stage.
The Ukrainian side announced that the technologies to be developed can be tested through its own Test in Ukraine platform. Thus, it is aimed to test the systems in an environment close to real war conditions.
Ukraine's defense partnerships with Europe are expanding
Brave France has become the latest link in a chain of agreements aimed at expanding defense production with Ukraine's allies in Europe. Ukraine and Germany also launched the Brave Germany initiative on May 11, signing a similar agreement aimed at providing grants for German and Ukrainian defense research and development projects.
France's inclusion in this process shows that Kyiv's effort to strengthen its defense capacity through joint production and technology development continues.
