Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what initiatives his Department is part of that aim to foster cooperation between Ukrainian defence innovators and the UK and European industrial and technology ecosystems.

The Secretary of State for Defence is committed to fostering collaboration between Ukraine, British and European industry. In cooperation with trade association ADS, the UK has delivered seven successful Trade Missions to Ukraine, bringing together UK industry and likeminded European partners to discuss opportunities for long-term cooperation and investment, and to promote greater collaboration with defence industrial companies inside Ukraine.

This month, I led the largest trade mission, with the UK welcoming five European partners and a record 35 UK companies from primes to SMEs, offering a range of innovative solutions.

Last year we announced that the UK will manufacture and jointly develop cutting-edge military equipment with Ukrainian industry through a groundbreaking new technology sharing agreement. This tech sharing agreement is called Programme Lyra.