Ukraine has agreed on Saturday defense agreements with Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, as President Volodymyr Zelensky visited these two countries amid escalating tensions in the region.
The Ministry of Defense of Qatar specified in a statement that Doha and Kyiv had signed a defense cooperation agreement involving expertise exchange in missile and unmanned aerial systems combat.
“This is a 10-year partnership. We have already signed the agreement with Saudi Arabia, and we just signed a similar 10-year agreement with Qatar,” Volodymyr Zelensky told journalists during an online press briefing.
“We will also sign a 10-year agreement with the United Arab Emirates. This will happen in the coming days.”
Volodymyr Zelensky had previously visited the UAE and met with President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, with both countries agreeing to cooperate on security and defense matters.
As the American-Israeli war against Iran has caused more than 2,000 deaths, disrupted global markets, and virtually closed the Strait of Hormuz, Ukraine is offering its expertise in aerial defense and drone technology to the region’s countries.
Volodymyr Zelensky hopes to gain support from Gulf countries in Ukraine’s war against Russia, as Western military aid faces new uncertainties and Kyiv struggles to find funds to cover its budget deficit and finance its arms production.
Over 200 Ukrainian military and security experts have been deployed to advise Middle Eastern countries on intercepting drone attacks, which have caused significant damage to energy infrastructure.
/2019/12/17/phpAUWvry.jpg "Targeting journalists is a war crime, recalls RSF, after the deaths of three Lebanese journalists")
