What did Ukraine and Arab countries agree on?
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced agreements with Middle Eastern countries. This concerns strategic cooperation and decade-long contracts.
The head of state shared this in response to a question from a journalist at RBK-Ukraine.
Read also: Zelensky agreed on defense partnership with another enemy of Iran
Zelensky spoke about visits to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Jordan, and contacts with other states. He added that the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, Rustem Umerov, is still there.
“We have taken a very important step. We shared our expertise on how to protect people and civilian infrastructure. The leaders of the Middle East are very grateful for this,” he emphasized.
“Historic agreements”
The president announced meetings with several other representatives and noted strategic agreements for many years to come.
“I believe these are historic agreements. We are agreeing on strategic cooperation in the military-technical direction and in other areas. We are talking about decade-long contracts. This is mutual assistance, undoubtedly,” the President of Ukraine noted.
He added that Kyiv is also interested in anti-ballistic activities, which, he pointed out, the country is lacking.
“This includes exports, the opening of exports. But the right opening, when you know that you are really selling a system to partners, not just interceptors. This includes defense lines, software, and electronic warfare systems, meaning we are approaching this issue systematically,” Zelensky explained.
Agreements on energy
He emphasized that all agreements are very important for Ukraine and will be legally formalized. The Ukrainian president stressed that “Ukraine has never had such agreements in this region.”
Zelensky also noted that Kyiv faces challenges related to energy and diesel. He reported that there are already agreements on energy support from Gulf countries.
Maritime drones and unblocking the Hormuz Strait
The President of Ukraine also reported on agreements with Arab countries regarding maritime drones. He mentioned that Ukrainian experience could help unblock the Hormuz Strait.
“We raised this issue because it is painful and urgent for the whole world due to the energy crisis. They know they can count on our expertise in this area. We shared our experience of the Black Sea corridor and how it functions,” his statement said.
According to Zelensky, Middle Eastern countries understand that the Armed Forces of Ukraine have successfully unblocked the Black Sea corridor “very productively.”
“Regarding other directions, concerning Hormuz, in my opinion, the U.S. is dealing with this, and we are always ready to help our partners,” the Ukrainian president emphasized.
Recall that Zelensky stated that during his visit to the Middle East, he agreed on diesel supplies for Ukraine for at least one year. He also mentioned that fuel reserves in the country were depleted.
Additionally, during a meeting with the President of the UAE, the President of Ukraine also agreed on cooperation in the field of security and defense.
