Ukraine and Saudi Arabia to seal security pact — Bloomberg
Photo: Volodymyr Zelenskyy (president.gov.ua)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a surprise visit to the Persian Gulf region. Kyiv is preparing to sign an agreement with Saudi Arabia, according to Bloomberg.
Zelenskyy arrives in the region seeking to offer Ukraine’s expertise in countering drones in exchange for defense support.
In an announcement regarding his arrival in Saudi Arabia, the Ukrainian leader states that he plans to hold important meetings.
"We appreciate the support and support those who are willing to work with us for security," he says.
According to sources familiar with the situation, Zelenskyy did not go into details about the trip, which is expected to include other countries in the region.
However, in a comment to AFP, an unnamed senior official said that "Ukraine is set to sign an air security deal with Saudi Arabia".
Agreements in Middle East
A week ago, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine was negotiating defense agreements with Middle Eastern countries and, at the same time, was proposing a so-called drone deal to the US.
"First of all, we are working with the Middle East, with leaders, at a technical level, with defense ministries. We are preparing serious agreements and deals — we will see when they are ready," Zelenskyy said.
A week ago, the BBC reported that Ukrainian interceptor drones had already shot down several Iranian drones in the Persian Gulf.
