Ukraine, Saudi Arabia Sign Defence Cooperation Agreement Amid Regional T£nsions

 

Ukraine, Saudi Arabia Sign Defence Cooperation Agreement Amid Regional Tensions

Ukraine and Saudi Arabia have formalized their military collaboration by signing a defence cooperation agreement.

 

The deal comes ahead of a scheduled meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud.

 

In a social media statement on Friday, Zelenskyy said the agreement is intended to create a framework for future contracts, technological cooperation, and investment.

President Zelenskyy outlined the purpose of the agreement.

“We have reached an important Arrangement between the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and the Ministry of Defense of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on defense cooperation. This document was signed ahead of our meeting with the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud,” he said.

“It lays the foundation for future contracts, technological cooperation, and investment. It also strengthens Ukraine’s international role as a security donor.”

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He described Ukraine’s willingness to share expertise and systems with Saudi Arabia to strengthen protection of lives.

“We are ready to share our expertise and systems with Saudi Arabia and to work together to strengthen the protection of lives,” Zelenskyy added.

 

Zelenskyy highlighted security challenges facing Ukraine, noting their similarity to incidents in the Middle East and Gulf region.

“Now into the fifth year, Ukrainians are resisting the same kind of terrorist attacks – ballistic missiles and drones – that the Iranian regime is currently carrying out in the Middle East and the Gulf region. Saudi Arabia also has capabilities that are of interest to Ukraine, and this cooperation can be mutually beneficial,” he said.

He also confirmed that discussions included regional security issues, energy developments, and potential cooperation in fuel markets.

“We also discussed the situation in the Middle East and the Gulf region as a whole, Russia’s assistance to the Iranian regime, developments in fuel markets, and potential energy cooperation,” Zelenskyy said.

 

The agreement establishes a framework for future joint defence projects, technological collaboration, and investment between Ukraine and Saudi Arabia.

It also sets out areas of mutual interest, including defence capabilities and potential cooperation in energy and security.

The agreement underscores the ongoing diplomatic efforts between Ukraine and Saudi Arabia to strengthen cooperation on defence and security, amid heightened regional tensions following Iranian drone attacks in Saudi Arabia, which were reportedly in retaliation for strikes by the United States and Israel.

Earlier, President Zelenskyy revealed that the U.S. had approached Ukraine regarding issues related to its military bases in the Middle East.

He noted that Ukraine has already begun collaborating with some of the countries involved, with technical teams deployed to assess operational needs and provide support.

Zelenskyy’s remarks come after Iran claimed that all U.S. bases in the Middle East had been destroyed.

SaharaReporters previously reported that a series of Iranian missile and drone strikes on U.S. military installations across the region had forced thousands of American troops to abandon their traditional bases, relocating instead to hotels, office buildings, and other improvised sites as the conflict enters its fourth week.

U.S. military personnel and officials confirmed that the bombardments, launched in retaliation for joint U.S.-Israeli operations, have rendered several strategic bases partially or completely unusable, disrupting command structures and complicating battlefield coordination.