President Volodymyr Zelensky has revealed that Ukrainian expert teams are actively working across the Middle East and Gulf region, assessing defense systems, advising governments, and laying the groundwork for long-term military cooperation.
During an off-the-record meeting with journalists on April 2, Zelensky said Ukrainian teams are already on the ground in several countries.
Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.
“Our expert groups are there to analyze what is happening in a particular country – what level their defense is at, what changes are needed, what can strengthen them,” he said.
According to the president, this effort has now moved into a second phase, where partner countries are outlining their needs and priorities.
“We say: ‘There must be a system, these objects must be protected.’ They say: ‘Our priorities are these.’ We tell them: ‘After that, they will attack this, this, and this. That is, let’s protect them. Protect them physically, because air defense will not be enough,’” Zelensky revealed.
He said that the work goes beyond air defense, involving logistics, infrastructure protection, and broader security planning.
“There is a plan. We are talking about systemic work, so we have agreed to ten-year cooperation. And in this cooperation, we are talking about the amount of money that we need and that they have agreed to pay,” he added.
Zelensky said the next stage will involve training, with two possible formats: personnel from partner countries training in Ukraine, and eventually the creation of local training bases.
Other Topics of Interest
Russia Targets Kharkiv, Kills Civilian in Shostka as Massive Drone Wave Continues
Russia strikes Kharkiv and Shostka with missiles and bombs, killing one and injuring several, as a massive drone attack involving 150 UAVs continues across Ukraine.
“They will come to us, they will train. In any case, at some point, people will want to have their own base. They are talking about it, and that is normal,” he said.
Ukrainian instructors may also be deployed abroad, though this will depend on the situation at home.
“But everything will depend on the war in Ukraine. Because our main priority is to end the war in our country,” Zelensky added.
He disclosed that some Ukrainian specialists have already completed their missions and returned, including aviation experts.
Zelensky also revealed ongoing agreements with regional partners, including a deal with one country to purchase Ukrainian naval drones.
“But they won’t buy naval drones from us for 10 years. There is a possibility of changing directions. And that’s normal – we are flexible in this matter,” he said.
On the issue of preventing re-export to third countries, Zelensky emphasized strict controls.
“First: we did not talk to them about third countries. Second: no co-production can be sent to third countries without approval,” he said.
The president confirmed that Ukraine has reached bilateral agreements with countries such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar.
“We produce for them, and we produce for us. These are bilateral agreements. If we want to sell it or transfer it to third countries, to the US, for example, or to others, then this should be our joint decision,” he said.
He added that such arrangements can be monitored through security oversight at production facilities.
Zelensky said Monday that Ukraine discussed naval drone cooperation with Middle Eastern countries during his recent regional tour.
Speaking to journalists, he said that the talks focused on sharing Ukraine’s experience securing maritime trade routes.
“Yes, we discussed it. This is part of the broader agreements I have already mentioned,” he said.
Ukraine presented its experience in maintaining the Black Sea shipping corridor, which has allowed exports to continue despite Russian attacks.
“They understand they can rely on our expertise in this area… We shared details of how the Black Sea corridor functions,” Zelensky said, adding the model could be relevant to the situation in the Strait of Hormuz.
Zelensky toured the region starting March 27, visiting Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Jordan, where he secured multiple defense agreements.