Zelenskiy Seeks Funding for Ukraine Drone Help in Gulf
Volodymyr Zelenskiy Seeks Funding, Technology for Ukraine Drone Assistance in Middle East
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Ukraine expects financial support and technological cooperation in return for assisting Middle Eastern countries seeking expertise to defend against Iranian kamikaze drones.
Zelenskiy said Kyiv has already sent specialist teams to the region to assess defence systems and advise governments on countering drone attacks.
Ukrainian Experts Sent to Gulf Region
According to Zelenskiy, three Ukrainian teams were deployed to the Middle East to conduct assessments and demonstrate how drone defence systems should operate.
Advertisement
Earlier this week, he confirmed that specialists were sent to Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, along with a team visiting a U.S. military base in Jordan.
Zelenskiy clarified that Ukraine is not directly participating in combat operations in the region.
“This is not about being involved in operations. We are not at war with Iran,” he said while speaking to reporters.
Kyiv Seeks Long-Term Drone Cooperation
The Ukrainian president indicated that discussions with Gulf countries could expand into long-term agreements related to drone technology and defence systems.
He said Ukraine is interested in securing both technological collaboration and financial support as part of such arrangements.
“For us today, both the technology and the funding are important,” Zelenskiy said, indicating that details of any agreements still need to be negotiated.
Experience From War With Russia
Ukraine has gained extensive experience countering drone attacks during the ongoing conflict with Russia. Zelenskiy noted that Ukrainian forces intercept Russian drones almost every night.
He said Kyiv uses a combination of air-defence systems, smaller drones and electronic jamming equipment to counter aerial threats.
According to Zelenskiy, countries from Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the United States have shown interest in Ukraine’s experience in countering drone attacks.
Uncertainty Over Major U.S. Drone Agreement
Zelenskiy also referred to ongoing discussions with Washington about a large drone cooperation agreement.
He said he had proposed a deal valued between $35 billion and $50 billion but remained uncertain whether the agreement would be finalised.
U.S. President Donald Trump has previously stated that the United States does not require Ukraine’s assistance in shooting down drones.
Concerns Over Impact of Middle East Conflict
Zelenskiy expressed concern that the escalating conflict in the Middle East could affect Ukraine’s own military supplies.
He said Kyiv hopes the United States does not shift attention away from the Ukraine conflict due to developments in the Middle East.
The latest round of peace talks between Russia, Ukraine and the United States had been scheduled to take place in the United Arab Emirates but was postponed after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran triggered war in the region two weeks ago.
Peace Talks and Battlefield Situation
Zelenskiy said Washington suggested holding talks in the United States next week, though Russia has reportedly not agreed to that location.
He said either a different country would need to be selected for the meeting or Russia would need to confirm its participation in the United States.
On the battlefield, Zelenskiy said Ukraine’s military believes Russia’s planned spring offensive has already failed, noting that Moscow had expected the operation to be fully underway by now.
