President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday that Ukraine discussed cooperation on naval drones with Middle Eastern countries during his recent regional tour.
Speaking to journalists, Zelensky said the talks included sharing Ukraine’s experience in securing maritime trade routes using naval drones.
“Yes, we discussed it. This is part of the broader agreements I have already mentioned,” Zelensky said, according to Ukrinform.
Focus on maritime security
Zelensky said Ukraine presented its experience in maintaining the Black Sea shipping corridor, which has allowed exports to continue despite Russian attacks.
He said this expertise could be relevant to the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, where disruptions have affected global energy supplies.
“They understand they can rely on our expertise in this area… We shared details of how the Black Sea corridor functions,” Zelensky said.
He added that the United States is working on other aspects of addressing risks in the region, while Ukraine remains ready to assist partners.
Defense agreements in the region
Zelensky began a Middle East tour on March 27, visiting Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Jordan. He announced that Ukraine and Saudi Arabia have reached an important agreement on defense cooperation during his surprise visit to the kingdom.
According to AFP, Ukraine and Saudi Arabia were expected to sign a security cooperation agreement focused in part on air defense. Kyiv has offered to deploy around 200 Ukrainian drone specialists to assist Gulf countries in countering aerial threats, drawing on its extensive experience defending against Iranian-designed Shahed drones used by Russia.
During his visit to Doha, Ukraine signed a long-term defense cooperation agreement with Qatar, alongside Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.
A similar agreement was also reached with Saudi Arabia, while Ukraine expects to sign a comparable deal with the UAE, Zelensky said.