Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine expects to receive financial support and technology in return for assisting Middle Eastern countries that have sought Kyiv’s help in defending against Iranian suicide drones.
Speaking to reporters, Zelensky said Ukraine had already dispatched three expert teams to the region to conduct technical assessments and demonstrate how drone-defense systems should operate. Earlier this week, he confirmed that the teams had been sent to Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, as well as a U.S. military base in Jordan.
“This is not participation in military operations. We are not at war with Iran,” Zelensky said.
He added that long-term and more comprehensive drone agreements could be negotiated with Gulf countries, though the exact terms of what Ukraine would receive in return remain under discussion.
“For us right now, both technology and funding are important,” Zelensky said.
Gulf countries have reportedly spent large numbers of air-defense missiles to counter Iran’s Shahed drone. Ukraine, meanwhile, shoots down Russian drones every night using a range of weapons, including cheaper small drones and electronic jamming systems.
According to Zelensky, the United States as well as several countries in Europe, the Middle East and Africa have approached Ukraine for advice on countering such attacks.
However, Donald Trump has said that the United States does not need Ukraine’s assistance in shooting down drones.
Zelensky also said he does not understand why Washington has yet to sign a major drone agreement that Kyiv has been promoting for months, adding that it remains unclear whether the deal will ultimately materialize.
“I would like to sign an agreement worth about $35–50 billion,” he said.
The Ukrainian leader also criticized some Ukrainian companies and unnamed foreign governments for attempting to sign anti-drone equipment deals without Kyiv’s approval.
Zelensky further expressed concern about the impact a prolonged conflict in the Middle East could have on Ukraine’s supply of air-defense missiles.
“We really do not want the United States to shift away from the Ukraine issue because of the Middle East,” he told reporters.
The latest round of peace talks between Russia, Ukraine, and the United States, which had been scheduled to take place in the United Arab Emirates, was postponed after U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iran two weeks ago triggered a broader regional conflict.
Zelensky said Washington has proposed holding talks in the United States next week, but Russia is reluctant to meet there.
“Either they will change the country where we meet, or the Russian side must confirm the meeting in the United States,” he said.
On the battlefield, Zelensky said Ukrainian military officials believe Russia’s spring offensive has not yet succeeded, noting that Moscow had previously planned for the operation to be fully underway by now.
