At Razom’s Washington, D.C., office, Ukrainian innovators and American policymakers explored the technologies reshaping modern security and the opportunities for deeper U.S.-Ukraine cooperation.
Ukraine’s experience defending itself against Russia’s full-scale invasion is transforming how the world understands modern warfare. Ukrainian engineers, trainers, and innovators are developing and adapting technologies at remarkable speed, drawing on lessons learned directly from the front lines. These innovations have implications far beyond Ukraine, offering important insights into the future of unmanned systems, emerging security threats, and international defense cooperation.
To bring that expertise directly to American decision-makers, Razom for Ukraine’s Advocacy Team convened and hosted Prometheus, an interactive defense innovation showcase at its Capitol Hill office in Washington, D.C., earlier this month.
Organized in partnership with the Embassy of Ukraine in the United States, the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), Liberty Ukraine, Accshellerator, Ukraine’s Boryviter Centre of Excellence, and Truth Hounds, the event welcomed more than 100 congressional staffers, executive branch officials, national security experts, and Ukrainian innovators.
“Out of necessity, Ukrainian engineers have developed inexpensive technologies that are being deployed in weeks, challenging weapons systems worth millions of dollars. Ukraine is at the forefront of this transformation, and the United States has much to learn from its experience. One of Razom’s central objectives was to build support for a formal U.S.-Ukraine working group to facilitate cooperation on unmanned systems,” said Daniel Balson, Director of Razom Advocacy.
A Hands-On Look at Ukrainian Innovation
Prometheus gave participants an opportunity to experience Ukrainian technology firsthand and speak with the people developing and using it. Guests took the controls of first-person-view (FPV) drone simulators, examined Ukrainian drone models, explored battlefield logistics software, and learned about rapidly evolving technologies designed to counter unmanned threats. The demonstrations illustrated how quickly Ukraine’s innovation ecosystem has evolved under the pressures of war.
Ukrainian engineers, entrepreneurs, and frontline professionals have developed ways to adapt relatively inexpensive technologies to challenges traditionally addressed by far more costly systems. In some cases, technologies can be modified and deployed in weeks, or even days, to meet rapidly changing needs.
For the American policymakers in attendance, the opportunity to engage directly with Ukrainian innovators brought those developments into sharper focus. The showcase created space for technical questions, practical demonstrations, and conversations about what Ukraine’s experience can teach its international partners.
What Ukraine’s Experience Means for Global Security
A fireside conversation featuring Rear Admiral (Ret.) Mark Montgomery and Shashank Joshi of The Economist explored the broader implications of Ukraine’s experience for the future of warfare and American security.
As unmanned technologies evolve, Ukraine’s experience offers insights into how quickly security challenges can change and how institutions can adapt to emerging threats. The discussion reinforced one of the event’s central themes: Ukraine’s knowledge and experience can make a meaningful contribution to its partnerships with the United States. Ukraine has become an important source of practical expertise in unmanned systems, and sustained cooperation offers both countries opportunities to learn from that experience.
From Innovation to Lasting Cooperation
Prometheus also highlighted an opportunity to translate these exchanges into more structured collaboration: H.R. 9550, the Strategic Unmanned Systems Partnership Act, proposes strengthening U.S.-Ukraine cooperation in the development, production, and acquisition of next-generation unmanned systems. The proposal reflects the broader policy conversation surrounding the showcase: how the United States and Ukraine can build on Ukraine’s technological expertise through sustained cooperation.
For Razom’s Advocacy team, bringing Ukrainian experts into direct conversation with American policymakers is an important part of that process. The team connects decision-makers with credible information, Ukrainian perspectives, and opportunities for policy engagement.
Keeping Ukrainian Expertise at the Center
The success of Prometheus depended on the expertise and collaboration of many partners.
Razom extends special thanks to the Embassy of Ukraine in the United States and Chargé d’Affaires Denys Sienik for participating, and to the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Liberty Ukraine, Accshellerator, Boryviter Centre of Excellence, and Truth Hounds for helping bring the showcase together.
We are also grateful to the Ukrainian engineers, trainers, and innovators who shared their knowledge and demonstrated technologies shaped by years of extraordinary challenges.
The event represents one part of Razom’s broader commitment to strengthening understanding of Ukraine in Washington and supporting relationships that recognize Ukraine’s experience, capabilities, and leadership.
Thanks to Razom’s supporters, we can continue bringing Ukrainian expertise to the people and institutions shaping important decisions, helping create opportunities for deeper understanding and lasting partnerships.
