‘Progressive membership’: Ukraine’s economic resilience shows future for EU business tie-ups

Joint ventures on defence, green energy and telecoms suggest how country could join bloc in stages rather than wait for full status

When the first Ukrainian-designed drone to be made in a German factory rolled off the production line last month, Volodymyr Zelenskyy knew it marked a turning point for the economy.

With drone-making joint ventures also well advanced in Finland and Denmark, war-torn Ukraine has shown how its businesses can adapt and break out of their bomb-threatened domestic confines, becoming more integrated into the EU's industrial network with each passing day.