Qatar and Ukraine signed a 10-year defense agreement Saturday focusing on countering threats from missiles and drones, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy toured Gulf nations seeking support and offering drone interceptor technology. The agreements with Qatar and Saudi Arabia, and a pending one with the United Arab Emirates, come as Iran continues aerial attacks in the region.
Ukraine Secures Defense Pacts with Gulf States
Zelenskyy announced the 10-year cooperation agreements with Qatar and Saudi Arabia, adding that a similar agreement will be signed with the United Arab Emirates. “We are talking about a 10-year cooperation,” Zelenskyy told reporters.
Ukraine has emerged as a leading producer of drone interceptors, which have proven effective in its defense against Russia’s full-scale invasion that began on February 24, 2022. In exchange for aid to Gulf countries, Ukraine is seeking more high-end air-defense missiles.
Zelenskyy emphasized Ukraine’s desire for long-term ties with Middle Eastern countries, including joint production, cooperation in the energy sector, investment, and sharing battlefield experience. “Simple sales do not interest us,” he said. “We want systemic relationships, where exporters earn revenue and Ukraine receives sufficient funds to invest in domestic production.”
Zelenskyy has sought to leverage the war to benefit Ukraine, offering allies Ukrainian drone interceptors and dispatching over 200 military experts. “Surely no one else can help in this way today, with expertise,” he stated. “No one else possesses such experience.”
Russian air attacks across Ukraine on Saturday killed at least four people and damaged critical infrastructure, including a port and a maternity hospital, authorities reported. Moscow has been regularly launching drone attacks on Ukraine, with Kyiv accusing Russia of targeting residential areas and civilians.
Iran claimed to have struck a Ukraine-related drone warehouse in Dubai, alleging that more than 20 Ukrainians were present. Ukraine’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Heorhii Tykhyi, dismissed the allegations as a “lie.”
Ukraine’s military reported striking a major Russian oil refinery in Yaroslavl, north-east of Moscow, causing a fire at the site, which is critical for the Russian army’s logistics.
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