StrategEast conducted another strategic visit under the U.S.–Ukraine Tech Partnership Initiative, convening Ukrainian defense and dual-use technology leaders with senior U.S. policymakers, industry executives, and security experts across Washington, D.C. Organized in partnership with Diia.City.Union and Kharkiv IT Cluster, and supported by the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, the initiative strengthens direct pathways between Ukrainian tech innovators and the U.S. defense and investment ecosystem.
The delegation included C-level representatives from prominent Ukrainian defense and dual-use tech companies: BlueBird Tech, Zaruba Tech, Organized Matter, Pegasus Aerospace, and Celebra LLC.
A central highlight of the visit was a joint strategic scenario exercise co-hosted with the Center for European Policy Analysis. The wargaming table exercise convened U.S. and Ukrainian defense companies, experts, and policymakers to examine the evolving dynamics of electronic warfare with global implications.
Participants explored complex questions of attribution, proportionality, escalation thresholds, and deterrence in an environment characterized by relatively unconstrained electronic warfare. Ukrainian companies operating in EW-adjacent domains engaged directly with U.S. defense stakeholders, including representatives from the National Defense Industrial Association, CHAOS Industries, AeroVironment, Honeywell, Auterion, and Apex Defense Strategies.
In partnership with Business Executives for National Security (BENS), StrategEast co-hosted a closed-door strategic roundtable examining lessons from Ukraine’s rapid defense innovation cycle. As the Pentagon calls for increased agility across the U.S. defense industrial base, Ukrainian experience in rapid prototyping, battlefield-driven R&D, and dual-use adaptation offers relevant operational insights.
As part of this visit and the broader initiative, StrategEast presented and supported the launch of “Ukraine’s Defense Tech Industry: By The Numbers,” produced by the Snake Island Institute with structural support from StrategEast. The report provides a high-level analytical overview of Ukraine’s private defense technology sector as of February 2026, documenting its rapid evolution from small-scale wartime improvisation to structured industrial production integrated into NATO-aligned networks.
At a commemorative event marking the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion, co-hosted with With Honor, Razom, and the Snake Island Institute, StrategEast’s Regional Director Hanna Myshko delivered remarks on behalf of Snake Island Institute and StrategEast, highlighting the role of innovation, resilience, and international partnership in Ukraine’s defense transformation and presenting the newly launched landscape report. Remarks were also delivered by Representative Maggie Goodlander and Denys Sienik, Deputy Ambassador of Ukraine to the United States.
Engagements also included discussions with the US–Taiwan Business Council exploring how Ukraine’s defense-tech experience can inform joint U.S.–Taiwan–Ukraine innovation models, particularly in rapid prototyping, field-driven R&D, and dual-use technology pathways.
The Ukrainian delegation participated in the public event “US–Ukraine Security Dialogue XVIII: Taking Measure of Ukraine’s Defense Capabilities & Needs After a Fourth Year of War,” which examined Ukraine’s evolving defense posture across land, maritime, air, cyber, and drone domains.
StrategEast and the delegation also convened a high-level meeting at the Atlantic Council with Debra Cagan, Senior Advisor at the Eurasia Center and former senior U.S. State and Defense Department official. Discussions focused on presenting Ukraine’s defense-tech capabilities, export-ready solutions, and strategies for establishing long-term U.S. partnerships.
The visit concluded with strategic discussions at Paladin Capital Group, examining U.S. venture trends in international defense technology and opportunities for Ukrainian innovation within global security investment flows.
The U.S.–Ukraine Tech Partnership Initiative continues to expand high-level matchmaking, policy engagement, and capital access for Ukrainian technology firms. Through structured dialogue and targeted partnerships, StrategEast is reinforcing Ukraine’s position not only as a frontline innovator, but as a long-term strategic partner in transatlantic defense and security cooperation.
