Zelenskyy hails ‘historic’ 10-year defence pacts with Saudi Arabia and Qatar during West Asia tour
New Delhi, March 30. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has described newly signed 10-year defence cooperation agreements with Saudi Arabia and Qatar as “historic,” saying they mark Ukraine’s first long-term strategic security arrangements in the Middle East.
Addressing a virtual press briefing, Zelenskyy said the agreements establish sustained collaboration in military technology and mutual assistance, with Kyiv particularly keen to enhance protection against ballistic threats. He added that the pacts also cover cooperation in energy-related areas, including diesel supplies, which are critical for Ukraine’s wartime resilience.
“These are historic agreements. We have never had such arrangements in this region before,” Turkiye’s Anadolu news agency quoted Zelenskyy as saying, while adding that the deals will soon be formalised legally.
Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council Secretary, Rustem Umerov, is currently in the region for follow-up meetings to advance the partnerships.
Zelenskyy began his Middle East tour on March 27, visiting Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar and Jordan. In Doha, he concluded a defence partnership agreement with Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani for a minimum of 10 years. A similar pact was reached with Riyadh, and Zelenskyy indicated that a comparable agreement would soon be signed with the UAE.
On the stalled Russia-Ukraine peace talks, Zelenskyy said a proposed trilateral meeting had been delayed as the US is currently preoccupied with developments involving Iran. He rejected suggestions that negotiations had reached a dead end and reiterated Kyiv’s openness to talks in any neutral venue, including the US, Turkiye or Switzerland, after Russia declined Washington’s proposal to host the meeting.
The Ukrainian leader also revealed that some international partners had urged Kyiv to scale back strikes on Russia’s oil and energy infrastructure following the onset of the Iran-related crisis, citing concerns over the global energy situation. While he did not name the countries involved, Zelenskyy said Ukraine would be willing to refrain from targeting Russian energy assets if Moscow halted attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
Expressing openness to an Easter ceasefire, Zelenskyy stressed that any pause in hostilities must be meaningful and reciprocal, adding that Ukraine remains committed to pursuing a diplomatic path even as it continues to defend its positions on the battlefield.
In recent weeks, Ukrainian forces have targeted several Russian oil export facilities, including terminals in the Leningrad region, as part of efforts to disrupt Moscow’s energy revenues.
