Ukraine indicators 10-year defence pact with Qatar because it eyes broader Gulf cooperation | EUROtoday

Qatar and Ukraine signed a defence settlement on Saturday that included cooperation on countering threats from missiles and drones, the Gulf state’s authorities stated, as Iran presses an aerial marketing campaign towards its neighbours.

Earlier on Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky – throughout a beforehand unannounced flurry of visits to Gulf nations – stated his nation and the United Arab Emirates had agreed to cooperate on defence, after Iran focused international locations within the space in retaliation for US-Israeli strikes.

Ukraine additionally signed an air defence settlement with Saudi Arabia throughout Zelensky’s go to to the dominion 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 instructed reporters at a briefing on Saturday.

Kyiv has sought to leverage its experience in downing Russian drones to assist Gulf nations and has deployed anti-drone specialists to all three international locations Zelensky has visited throughout 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, with out elaborating on particulars of what is going to be produced.

The settlement 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 stated in an announcement throughout Zelensky’s go to.

Ukrainian drone producers have been inundated with requests from the Middle East because the outbreak of warfare within the area as Kyiv has turn out to be one among most superior 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 instructed AFP just lately, talking on situation of anonymity.

Ukraine has “undoubtedly changed the geopolitical situation”, Zelensky instructed journalists Saturday, including that “surely no one else can help in this way today, with expertise”.

’10-year strategic-level contracts’

After conferences in Saudi Arabia on Thursday, Zelensky held talks within 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 stated on social media on Saturday.

He later instructed journalists that “10-year strategic-level contracts” with three Middle Eastern international locations have been value “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 stated.

Ukraine touts its anti-drone defences as one of the best on this planet.

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It has proposed swapping its interceptors for the vastly costlier air-defence missiles that Gulf international locations are utilizing to down Iranian drones. Kyiv says it wants extra of them to fend off near-daily Russian missile assaults.

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, instructed AFP.

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

In the UAE and Qatar, Zelensky additionally met Ukrainian anti-drone specialists, 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 stated.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)