Ukraine signed a defense cooperation agreement with Qatar on Saturday and another one with the United Arab Emirates, as Kiev seeks to leverage its expertise in drone destruction in the context of the Middle East war. Volodymyr Zelensky, who made a series of surprise visits to the region, signed a cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia on Thursday, as Gulf countries face Iranian drones and missiles launched by Tehran in retaliation for American-Israeli strikes against Iran since February 28.
“We are talking about a ten-year cooperation. We have already signed an agreement to that effect with Saudi Arabia, we have just signed a similar agreement with Qatar, also for ten years, we will sign one with the UAE,” said the Ukrainian president during an online press conference with journalists.
On the Qatari side, the defense ministry specified in a statement that the agreement with Ukraine “includes cooperation in technological areas, the development of joint investments, and the exchange of expertise in the fight against missiles and unmanned aerial systems.” Since the start of the war in the region, Ukrainian drone manufacturers have been flooded with requests from the Middle East, as Kiev has become one of the most advanced drone production hubs since the 2022 Russian invasion.
“Ukraine has undoubtedly changed the geopolitical situation,” Zelensky said, adding that “without a doubt, nobody else can help in this way today, with such expertise.”
After meetings in Saudi Arabia on Thursday, Zelensky met with Emirati President Mohammed ben Zayed Al-Nahyane, stating on social media that the two leaders “agreed to cooperate in the field of security and defense. Our teams will finalize the details.”
He then told journalists that the “strategic 10-year contracts” concluded with three Middle Eastern countries represented “billions.” “I won’t say the exact figure, but we are talking about billions, not millions, precisely billions for our exporters: everyone will benefit from it, Ukraine will benefit, we will not lose, because we will ensure that our soldiers have enough,” Zelensky said.
Ukraine presents its anti-drone defenses as the best in the world. The country has proposed to exchange its drone interceptors for anti-aircraft defense missiles, much more expensive, which Gulf countries use to shoot down Iranian drones. Kiev claims to need more of these missiles to counter almost daily missile strikes from Russia, which has been attacking Ukraine since early 2022. Zelensky also met with Ukrainian anti-drone experts in the UAE and Qatar, who “work here to contribute to saving lives.” “Today, Ukraine not only needs help, it is also ready to support those who support us,” he said.
