Ukraine preparing basis for deeper security deals in Europe: President

Ukraine is preparing the basis for deeper security agreements in Europe, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Monday, in a meeting on the results of the first stage of work with partners in the Middle East and Gulf region.

In a statement through the US social media platform X following the meeting with Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov, Zelensky noted Kyiv's readiness to provide "prompt and effective support to those who support our state and independence."

"This applies to protection against attack drones and other UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) types in the air, as well as to addressing maritime security tasks -- Ukraine's experience in the Black Sea can also be put to use on other globally important maritime routes," he said.

Zelensky further said that Ukraine is in communication on security matters with various Middle East and Gulf nations in this context, including Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, and Syria, and that they have also received requests for engagement with Iraq.

"Today, we also discussed prospects for joint work with the countries of the Caucasus, as well as East and Southeast Asia. There are also substantive requests from countries in Africa," he added.

Zelensky also said he instructed Umerov to finalize drafts of several new security agreements and prepare them to be signed.

Last week, Zelensky declared he will conduct talks "in the near future" with European countries on defense against Russian drones and Ukraine's EU accession, among other topics.

His remarks came after he conducted a trip to the Gulf region in late March, where he signed defense deals with Saudi Arabia and Qatar, and agreed to advance cooperation in security and defense with the UAE, with details of an agreement being finalized.