Zelenskyy seeks funding and tech for drone cooperation agreements
Amid the ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran, tensions have also surfaced between Iran and Ukraine over Kyiv’s offer to share anti-drone expertise with countries in the Middle East.
Iranian officials on Saturday accused Ukraine of using the “Iran card” to secure more resources from the West. The warning came after reports that Ukraine had offered to help US forces and their allies in the Middle East with its anti-drone technology and expertise, an offer that Washington reportedly considered unnecessary.
Ebrahim Azizi, head of Iran’s parliamentary committee on national security and foreign policy, said Ukraine’s actions could make it a potential target for Iranian strikes.
“By providing drone support to the Israeli regime, failed Ukraine has effectively become involved in the War and, under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, has turned its entire territory into a legitimate target for Iran,” Azizi posted on social media platform X.
Meanwhile, Ukraine has said it is seeking funding and technology in exchange for helping Middle Eastern nations defend against Iranian kamikaze drones.
Ukraine offers drone defence expertise
Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv had sent experts to the Middle East to demonstrate how drone defence systems should operate.
According to Zelenskyy, three teams were dispatched to conduct assessments and provide technical guidance. Earlier this week, he said specialists were sent to Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, as well as a US military base in Jordan.
“This is not about being involved in operations. We are not at war with Iran,” Zelenskyy said.
He added that discussions were ongoing about possible long-term drone cooperation agreements with Gulf countries.
“For us today, both the technology and the funding are important,” Zelenskyy said.
Drone defence demand rises in Gulf
Countries in the Gulf region have used significant numbers of air-defence missiles to counter Iranian Shahed drones.
Ukraine, which faces regular drone attacks from Russia, has developed multiple ways to intercept such threats, including the use of smaller drones and jamming systems.
Zelenskyy also said that several countries, including the United States as well as nations in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, have sought Ukraine’s expertise on countering drone attacks.
However, Donald Trump said the United States does not require Ukraine’s help to deal with drone threats.
Zelenskyy also said he was unsure why Washington had not moved ahead with a major drone agreement proposed by Kyiv.
“I wanted to sign a deal worth about 35-50 billion dollars,” he said.
