The Ukrainian president visited the Middle East, where he sought to shift his country from a recipient of military aid to a supplier.The agreements under negotiation with the United Arab Emirates and finalized with Qatar extend for 10 years, Mr. Zelensky told reporters on a conference call, and could be worth “billions.” He spoke from Qatar, one of the Persian Gulf states that has been targeted by Iranian drones.
Mr. Zelensky said he had signed deals with Saudi Arabia and Qatar and expected to finalize an agreement with the United Arab Emirates.
Mr. Zelensky did not announce specific commercial drone sales, but said talks touched on financial support from Gulf nations that could help Ukraine bridge a delay in European funding after Hungary blocked a 90 billion euro loan package. He said he had also discussed future Ukrainian purchases of energy from the Middle East as Ukraine’s own natural gas industry had been battered by Russian strikes.
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Qatar’s defense ministry confirmed the deal in a statement, saying it would include an “exchange of expertise in countering missiles and unmanned aerial systems.”
“Everybody understands that no other country than Ukraine can help with its expertise” in shooting down Iranian drones, Mr. Zelensky said. “We are sharing our experience, and they are thankful to us.”
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