Ukraine and Saudi Arabia announce defence cooperation in Kyiv’s first deal in the Gulf

Key Points:

• Ukraine and Saudi Arabia signed their first defence cooperation agreement in the Gulf during President Zelenskyy’s visit to Jeddah, focusing on countering aerial threats such as ballistic missiles and drones amid the ongoing Iran war.
• The deal aims to establish future contracts, technological cooperation, and investment, with Ukraine sharing its expertise to help Saudi Arabia enhance its air defence capabilities against drone and missile attacks.
• Zelenskyy highlighted Ukraine’s unique experience in resisting missile and drone attacks over the past five years and emphasized the strategic importance of Gulf cooperation for global energy security and European stability.
• Ukraine has deployed over 200 drone-countering experts to Gulf countries including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar, with additional experts heading to Jordan and Kuwait to bolster regional defence efforts.
• Zelenskyy called for increased European defence production to reduce reliance on external partners, warning that potential US military aid diversion to the Middle East could leave Ukraine vulnerable to intensified Russian ballistic missile attacks.