Ukraine securing 10-year defense deals with Gulf states amid Iran war

Ukraine is signing 10-year defense partnerships with three Gulf countries as the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran enters its second month and shows no sign of slowing down.

President Volodymyr Zelensky signed an agreement with Qatar on March 28, the day after his visit to Saudi Arabia where he secured a deal with Riyadh. Another agreement with the UAE will be inked in the coming days, Zelensky told reporters at a press briefing during his visit to Qatar.

"The first priority is weapons — their production, exchange of experience, and the exchange of scarce resources that one country may have and another lacks," he said.

"During these 10 years, we will engage in co-production. We will build factories both in Ukraine and in these countries."

In turn, the Ukrainian leader discussed long-term energy cooperation with the three countries. Ukraine’s energy sector is under constant attack from Russia while Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz sent fuel prices through the roof.

After the last brutal winter revealed massive oversights in the energy sector, Kyiv is already preparing for the next heating season.

Zelensky didn’t reveal anymore details about the 10-year agreements. But he stressed that Ukraine’s expertise goes beyond just drone production — it also includes Ukrainian soldiers' four-years of experience countering Russian aerial attacks as well as Ukraine’s electronic warfare systems.

Gulf leaders have looked to Ukraine for support after Iran launched missiles and drones at its neighbors following U.S and Israeli strikes on Tehran on Feb. 28.

Zelensky is leveraging Ukraine's air defense expertise to shore up support as the U.S. looks to divert resources to its aerial campaign on Iran, alarming Kyiv.

Ukrainian soldiers have been helping defend the UAE from Iranian air attacks over the last few weeks. And training programs are also on the table as part of the 10-year partnerships, Zelensky said.

"If you want a high-level relationship with Ukraine, it’s not just drones. It’s our specialists. And the specialists are our soldiers," Zelensky said.

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As Russian oil profits soar, so do Ukraine’s drone attacks on refineries

The U.S.-Israeli war with Iran has been a boon for the Kremlin’s war coffers — during just the first two weeks of fighting, Russian earned an additional 6 billion euros ($6.9 billion) as global oil prices spiked. But two weeks later, Moscow was suffering from what Reuters described as “the most severe oil supply disruption in the modern history of Russia.” Alongside continued pipeline disruption and tanker seizures, Ukrainian drone strikes contributed to around 40% of Russia’s oil export capac

The Kyiv IndependentChris York