Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday said the country had signed an agreement on defence co-operation with Saudi Arabia that lays the foundation for future contracts and investment, CNBC reported.
The deal, which came during Zelenskyy’s surprise visit to the oil-rich kingdom, was signed ahead of his meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
“We are ready to share our expertise and systems with Saudi Arabia and to work together to strengthen the protection of lives,” Zelenskyy said in a social media post.
“Now into the fifth year, Ukrainians are resisting the same kind of terrorist attacks – ballistic missiles and drones – that the Iranian regime is currently carrying out in the Middle East and the Gulf region.”
Zelenskyy added that Saudi Arabia “also has capabilities that are of interest to Ukraine, and this cooperation can be mutually beneficial.”
Ukraine’s president met with Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah to discuss the escalating military tensions in the Middle East and the war in Ukraine. Zelenskyy said he expected to hold “important meetings” during this trip, as Kyiv offered its air-defence expertise and drone technology to countries in the region reeling from the Iranian strikes.
More than 200 Ukrainian experts have been dispatched to advise Middle East countries on how to intercept attacks that have wreaked havoc on energy infrastructure across the region.
Zelenskyy is hoping to draw support from the Gulf nations in Kyiv’s war against Russia, which is now in its fifth year and Western military aid faces new uncertainty.
