March 16, 2026 | 06:18 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Ukraine wants money and technology in exchange for helping Middle Eastern countries defend themselves against Iranian kamikaze drones, President Volodymyr Zelensky said after Kyiv sent specialists to the region.
Zelensky told reporters on Sunday, according to AsiaOne, that three teams were dispatched to the Middle East to conduct expert assessments and demonstrate how to counter drone attacks.
Earlier this week, he announced that teams had been sent to Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, and the U.S. military base in Jordan.
"This is not about being involved in operations. We are not at war with Iran," Zelensky said.
He stated that a more fundamental, long-term drone deal could be negotiated with the Gulf countries, and what Ukraine would gain in return for its assistance still needs to be discussed.
"For us today, both the technology and the funding are important," Zelensky said.
The Gulf countries have deployed a large number of air defense missiles to combat Iran's Shahed drones. Kyiv shoots down Russian drones every night using various weapons, including cheaper and smaller drones or signal disruption equipment.
Zelensky said that the U.S. and other countries in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa have asked Ukraine for help in countering these attacks.
However, U.S. President Donald Trump stated that the US did not need Ukraine's help to shoot down drones.
Zelensky said he didn't know why Washington has not yet signed a major drone deal that Kyiv has been pushing for months, and he's not sure if the deal will be approved at all.
"I wanted to sign a deal worth about 35-50 billion dollars," he said.
He also criticized certain Ukrainian companies and foreign governments, which he did not name, for attempting to make deals for anti-drone equipment without Kyiv's approval.
Peace Negotiations Affected
Zelensky expressed concern about the long-term impact of the conflict in the Middle East on Ukraine's air defense missile supplies.
"We would very much not like the United States to step away from the issue of Ukraine because of the Middle East," he told reporters.
The latest round of peace negotiations between Moscow, Kyiv, and Washington, which were supposed to take place in the United Arab Emirates, was postponed after U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iran triggered warfare in the region two weeks ago.
Zelensky said Washington has suggested a meeting in the U.S. for discussions next week, but the Russian side does not want to meet there.
"Either they will change the country where we meet, or the Russians must confirm (a meeting in) the U.S.," he said.
Read: Report: US Weighs Troop Deployment to Seize Iran's Kharg Island
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