KYIV – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy held talks on March 29 with Jordan’s King Abdullah about a potential security partnership to counter drone attacks, fueled by escalating Middle East strains from the Iran conflict.
“We discussed security cooperation and the broader Middle East and Gulf situation,” Zelenskiy posted on Telegram. Facing uncertain Western aid, budget shortfalls, and needs for domestic arms production, Kyiv is courting Gulf states for support in its war against Russia.
Ukraine offers its battle-tested air defense and drone tech against threats like Iran’s. “Our experience shows a unified system is essential to protect people and infrastructure, we’ve battled constant Russian strikes, including Iranian drones, for four years,” Zelenskiy noted. In return, he seeks bolstering for Ukraine’s defenses.
This follows Saturday’s defense pacts with the United Arab Emirates and Qatar after Zelenskiy’s visits there, plus a trip to Saudi Arabia last week. The outreach highlights Kyiv’s strategy to leverage its expertise for new alliances.