KYIV - President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine expects financial support and access to technology in return for helping Middle Eastern countries defend against Iranian attack drones. Kyiv has already sent specialist teams to the region.
Three teams of Ukrainian experts traveled to the Middle East to conduct assessments and demonstrate drone defense operations, Zelenskyy told reporters Sunday. Each team includes dozens of personnel .
The teams were sent to Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. Ukrainian officials also confirmed specialists went to a US military base in Jordan .
"This is not about being involved in operations. We are not at war with Iran," Zelenskyy said. "This is about protection and a thorough, complete assessment on our part of how to counter the Shaheds" .
Iran has used Shahed drones against US bases in the region, Zelenskyy told CNN, calling it "100 percent facts" . Russia supplies these drones to Iran and manufactures its own Shaheds under license, according to Ukrainian intelligence .
Ukraine has faced more than 57,000 Shahed drones since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, forcing Kyiv to develop cheap and effective countermeasures . Ukrainian manufacturers now produce interceptor drones costing a few thousand dollars each, compared to Patriot missiles that cost $3 million to $4 million .
Gulf states have spent large quantities of air defense missiles to counter Iranian drones and have sought Ukraine's battlefield experience . Almost a dozen countries worldwide have asked Kyiv for help with drone defense, Zelenskyy said .
What Ukraine will receive in exchange remains under discussion. "Honestly, for us today, both the technology and the funding are important," Zelenskyy said .
US Drone Deal Remains Unsettled
Zelenskyy said he remains uncertain whether Ukraine and the United States will sign a major drone cooperation agreement that Kyiv has sought for months. He wanted to sign a deal worth $35 billion to $50 billion .
The proposed agreement would cover drones and air defense systems designed to operate together against swarms of hundreds or thousands of Shahed drones . Ukraine submitted the deal to the White House and awaits approval .
Some Ukrainian companies and foreign governments have attempted to arrange anti-drone equipment deals without Kyiv's approval, Zelenskyy said without naming them .
Peace Talks Affected by Regional Conflict
Zelenskyy expressed concern that a prolonged Middle Eastern conflict could reduce US attention on Ukraine's defense needs. "We would very much not like the United States to step away from the issue of Ukraine because of the Middle East," he told reporters .
The latest round of peace talks between Moscow, Kyiv and Washington, scheduled for the UAE, was postponed after US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran triggered wider regional fighting two weeks ago .
Washington suggested meeting in the United States next week, but the Russian side declined, Zelenskyy said. "Either they will change the country where we meet, or the Russians must confirm a meeting in the US" .
On the battlefield, Zelenskyy said Ukraine's military believes a planned Russian spring offensive has "already failed" .