RIYADH: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky paid a surprise visit to Saudi Arabia on Thursday as the Middle East war sparks interest from the Gulf states in Ukrainian air defense technology.
He met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah, where they discussed regional escalation and the Ukraine crisis, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
They also discussed Ukraine’s war with Russia, the SPA reported.
“Arrived in Saudi Arabia. Important meetings are scheduled,” Zelensky had posted on social media before his meeting with the crown prince. “We appreciate the support and support those who are ready to work with us to ensure security.”
The two countries were expected to sign an agreement on “security cooperation — in particular, the protection of the skies” a senior official told the Agence France-Presse news agency.
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 since the war began on Feb. 28.
Kyiv is touting its mix of cheap drone interceptors, electronic jamming tools and anti-aircraft guns as an effective air defense tool to Shahed Russian drones.
Ukraine has proposed swapping its interceptors for the more expensive air-defense 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.
