Zelenskyy visits Doha as Ukraine, Qatar sign defense pact
dw.com • • general
Key Points:
- Ukraine and Qatar signed a defense cooperation agreement during an unannounced visit by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Doha, following a similar deal with Saudi Arabia and with one expected soon with the UAE.
- The pact focuses on collaboration in technology, joint investments, and sharing expertise in countering missiles and unmanned aerial systems, leveraging Ukraine's leadership in anti-drone warfare.
- The agreement comes amid ongoing Russian drone attacks on Ukrainian cities, including Odesa, where critical infrastructure was damaged; many Russian drones are based on Iranian designs currently targeting Gulf states.
- Ukraine denied Iranian claims that a depot of Ukrainian anti-drone systems was destroyed in the UAE, labeling the accusations as disinformation.
- Earlier this month, Ukraine sent 201 anti-drone military experts to assist Gulf countries including the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait in countering drone threats.
