Italian defense giant Leonardo has just dropped a bombshell: despite teaming up with Turkish drone maker Baykar, which already works with Ukraine, Leonardo refuses to open a drone factory in Ukraine. Instead, all drone production will stay safely tucked away in Italy.
Yes, you read that right. While Ukraine is desperately fighting for its survival and Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni pledged over 10 billion euros in aid at a recent international conference, Leonardo is playing it safe. Executive Director Roberto Cingolani made it crystal clear — no factories in Ukraine.
Baykar, the Turkish defense company, is already collaborating with Ukraine on drone tech, so Leonardo’s involvement is indirect at best. They’re willing to help make Ukrainian drones more efficient, but only from a distance.
This raises a huge question: when a country is at war and begging for tech support, why won’t a major defense player just invest directly? Is this cold capitalism at its finest — profit and safety over real support? Or is Leonardo just smartly avoiding risk by keeping production in a stable country?
Meanwhile, billions of euros are promised on paper, but the real drone factories remain far from Ukraine’s borders. It’s a classic case of “help” that’s more talk than action.
So, what do you think? Is Leonardo a coward hiding behind corporate walls, or a savvy business avoiding a war zone? Drop your thoughts below — maybe together we’ll figure out who’s the real hero here, and who’s just playing it safe!
