Zelensky agrees defence cooperation with UAE, Qatar on Gulf tour

Qatar and Ukraine signed a defence agreement on Saturday that included cooperation on countering threats from missiles and drones, the Gulf state's government said, as Iran presses an aerial campaign against its neighbours.

Earlier on Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky -- during a previously unannounced flurry of visits to Gulf nations -- said his country and the United Arab Emirates had agreed to cooperate on defence, after Iran targeted countries in the area in retaliation for US-Israeli strikes.

Ukraine also signed an air defence agreement with Saudi Arabia during Zelensky's visit to the kingdom earlier this week.

"We are talking about a 10-year cooperation. We have already signed a relevant agreement with Saudi Arabia, we have just signed a similar agreement with Qatar, also for 10 years, we will sign one with the Emirates," Zelensky told reporters, including from AFP, at a briefing on Saturday.

Kyiv has sought to leverage its expertise in downing Russian drones to help Gulf nations and has deployed anti-drone experts to all three countries Zelensky has visited during his diplomatic tour.

"Over these 10 years we will be engaged in co-production, building plants in both countries -– production lines in Ukraine as well as in these countries," he added, without elaborating on details of what will be produced.

The agreement with Ukraine "includes collaboration in technological fields, development of joint investments and the exchange of expertise in countering missiles and unmanned aerial systems", Qatar's defence ministry said in a statement during Zelensky's visit.

Ukrainian drone manufacturers have been inundated with requests from the Middle East since the outbreak of war in the region as Kyiv has become one of most advanced drone manufacturing hubs since Russia invaded in 2022.

"Neither the US, nor Europe, nor the Middle East are prepared for drone warfare," a Ukrainian drone unit commander told AFP recently, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Ukraine has "undoubtedly changed the geopolitical situation," Zelensky told journalists Saturday, adding that "surely no one else can help in this way today, with expertise."

- 'Billions' for exporters -

After meetings in Saudi Arabia on Thursday, Zelensky held talks in the UAE with Emirati President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

"We agreed to cooperate in the field of security and defence. Our teams will finalise the details," Zelensky said on social media on Saturday.

He later told journalists that "10-year strategic-level contracts" with three Middle Eastern countries were worth "billions".

"I won't say the exact figure, but we're talking billions, not millions, specifically billions for our exporters –- everyone will earn, Ukraine will earn, we won't lose out, because we'll ensure that our soldiers have enough left," Zelensky said.

Ukraine touts its anti-drone defences as the best in the world.

It has proposed swapping its interceptors for the vastly more expensive air-defence missiles that Gulf countries are using to down Iranian drones. Kyiv says it needs more of them to fend off near-daily Russian missile attacks.

Zelensky "sees both financial resources there and opportunities to support Ukraine's defence industry", Yevgen Magda, a political analyst and director of the Kyiv-based Institute of World Policy think-tank, told AFP.

An "acceptable outcome" of his tour "would be if the Gulf countries exchanged some number of Patriot missiles for Ukrainian drones," Magda said, but acknowledged that "it's quite difficult to count on this while the war is ongoing".

In the UAE and Qatar, Zelensky also met Ukrainian anti-drone experts, who "have been working here to help in protecting lives".

"Today, Ukraine not only needs assistance but is also ready to support those who support us," Zelensky said.