Ukraine's Zelensky agrees defence cooperation with UAE, Qatar during Gulf visit

Qatar says the deal includes sharing expertise on missiles, drones

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, meets with Volodymyr Zelenskiy, President of Ukraine, in the United Arab Emirates in this undated handout picture released Mar 28, 2026. Abdulla Al Neyadi/UAE Presidential Court/Handout via REUTERS

Ukraine on Saturday agreed to cooperate on defence with the United Arab Emirates and Qatar as President Volodymyr Zelensky travelled to both countries amid escalating tensions in the region.

Qatar's defence ministry said in a statement on Saturday that Doha and Kyiv have signed a defence cooperation agreement which includes the exchange of expertise in countering missiles and unmanned aerial systems.

Zelensky had earlier been to the UAE and met President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan as the two countries agreed to cooperate in the fields of security and defence.

"Our teams will finalise the details," Zelensky said on the Telegram app with reference to the UAE discussions.

Ukraine Experienced at Shooting Down Russian Drones

Ukraine, which now has years of experience shooting down Russian drones and missiles, was close to clinching several security agreements to counter Iranian attacks, its foreign minister Andrii Sybiha had told Reuters on Friday.

The US-Israeli war on Iran has killed more than 2,000 people, upended global markets and spurred Iranian retaliatory strikes that have effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz and targeted several countries across the Gulf with missiles and drones.

Zelensky had first arrived in Saudi Arabia on Thursday where the two countries also signed an agreement on defence cooperation.