Ukraine's Zelenskyy capitalizes on Iran war to ink security deal with Saudi Arabia
Kyiv is using its domestic production of anti-drone technology and low-cost, AI-enabled interceptor drones to help Gulf states in countering Iranian drones.
Saudi Arabia and Ukraine signed a defense cooperation agreement on Friday during President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to the kingdom, marking Kyiv’s first such deal with a Gulf state since the Iran-Israel war began as Saudi Arabia faces a fourth week of Iranian attacks.
What happened: Zelenskyy announced the signing of the deal on Friday, describing it as an “important arrangement” on defense cooperation between Ukraine and Saudi Arabia.
“It lays the foundation for future contracts, technological cooperation, and investment,” Zelenskyy wrote on X.
“We are ready to share our expertise and systems with Saudi Arabia and to work together to strengthen the protection of lives,” he added. “Saudi Arabia also has capabilities that are of interest to Ukraine, and this cooperation can be mutually beneficial.”
