Zelensky to ink air security deal with Saudi Arabia on surprise visit, says source

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Saudi Arabia on Thursday for an unannounced visit, as the war in Iran spurs interest among Gulf countries in Ukrainian arms technology.

The two countries are set to sign an agreement on “security cooperation — in particular, the protection of the skies”, later on Thursday, a senior official told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.

They did not provide further details of what was set to be in the accord.

Kyiv has sought to leverage its expertise in downing Russian drones to help Gulf nations, which are being attacked with the same Iranian-designed Shahed drones that Russia fires on Ukraine.

Zelensky has said that more than 200 Ukrainian anti-drone experts have been deployed to several countries in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, since the US-Israel strikes on Iran spurred retaliatory drone and missile attacks targetting US assets and bases from Tehran.

While Tehran accepts responsibility for some of the attacks, it denies having a role in others, including in Saudi Arabia.

“Arrived in Saudi Arabia. Important meetings are scheduled,” Zelensky wrote on social media, publishing a video of him meeting a regional official in Jeddah.

“We appreciate the support and support those who are ready to work with us to ensure security,” Zelensky added.

Kyiv is touting its mix of cheap drone interceptors, electronic jamming tools and anti-aircraft guns to down Russian drones as an effective air defence tool.

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

Last year, Saudi Arabia also hosted US officials for separate talks with Ukrainian and Russian delegations in a bid to find an end to the four-year war triggered by Moscow’s February 2022 invasion.