Zelensky details deals Ukraine signed to bolster Gulf nations’ defense against Iranian drones.
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine made public on Thursday details of security agreements he has signed with three Middle Eastern nations as the United States’ Persian Gulf allies rush to bolster their defenses against Iranian drones and missiles.
Ukraine is trying to leverage the expertise it has gained from its war with Russia by striking deals. Kyiv seeks to trade drone technology, training assistance and software updates for diplomatic backing, energy deals and advanced air-defense systems.
Mr. Zelensky said that Ukraine had signed agreements to cooperate with Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates on technology to intercept attack drones. These deals, he said, involve a series of contracts with both the private and public sectors in Ukraine.
In addition to providing hardware, software and training, Ukraine will help the partner nations integrate various types of military equipment into a single system, Mr. Zelensky said. Ukraine will also open joint production lines with them, he added.
“We are ready to deliver results” that make economic sense, the Ukrainian leader said. Early in the Mideast war, Persian Gulf nations were using American-made missiles costing millions of dollars to take down Iranian-designed Shahed drones that can cost between $80,000 and $130,000.
Ukrainian drones that can intercept Shaheds cost about $10,000 each, Mr. Zelensky said.
Drone teams that Ukraine sent to the Middle East last month, before the current cease-fire, shot down Shaheds in more than one country, the Ukrainian government has said.
Mr. Zelensky said that Ukraine would continue to build drone partnerships with other nations and that he wanted Ukrainian expertise to be shared with the United States. Kyiv is hoping that the Trump administration will re-engage in peace talks between Ukraine and Russia that have been suspended during the war in Iran.
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