Important Defense Agreements in the Middle East Signed by Ukrainian President
- While visiting the Middle East, Volodymyr Zelensky signed defense agreements with Gulf countries threatened by Iranian drones and missiles.
- The Ukrainian leader announced military agreements with Saudi Arabia and Qatar for a “ten-year cooperation.”
- Experts were deployed on-site by Kiev, seeking aid in return to shield against Russian strikes.
A surprise visit led to multiple defense agreements being sealed. Volodymyr Zelensky stated on Saturday, March 28, that the deals with Gulf countries targeted by drones and missiles launched by Tehran in retaliation to American-Israeli strikes against Iran, entail a “ten-year cooperation” in defense, and the establishment of joint production chains.
“We have already signed an agreement to this effect with Saudi Arabia, we just signed a similar agreement with Qatar, also for 10 years, and we will sign one with the Emirates,”
stated the Ukrainian president to journalists.
Qatar Agreement Follows Saudi Arabia
During his reception in Doha on Saturday, Ukraine and Qatar signed a defense agreement including “collaboration in technological fields, the development of joint investments, and the exchange of expertise in countering missiles and unmanned aerial systems,”
as announced by the Gulf state’s Defense Ministry.
On Thursday, March 26, the Ukrainian president traveled to Riyadh where he signed a cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia, allowing Kiev to share its experience in countering Iranian-designed Shahed drones, as the petromonarchies struggle to defend themselves.
Ukrainian Experts Sent to the Middle East
“We are ready to share our expertise and system with Saudi Arabia,”
stated Volodymyr Zelensky on social media. Riyadh “possesses what interests Ukraine,”
he added without elaborating.
Indeed, Saudi Arabia is one of the Gulf countries where Kiev recently sent military experts to share their experience in intercepting Shahed drones, designed by Iran and now mass-produced by Moscow to attack Ukraine.
In the Saudi capital, the Ukrainian leader also met with President Emirati Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, announcing on social media that the two leaders “agreed to cooperate in the security and defense field. Our teams will finalize the details.”
Ukraine has proposed to exchange its drone interceptors for much more expensive anti-aircraft defense missiles that Gulf countries use to shoot down Iranian drones, which Kiev claims is necessary to counter Russia’s almost daily missile strikes.
