Middle East Security and Arms Sales

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy used a Friday visit to Abu Dhabi to pitch Ukraine’s battlefield‑tested anti‑drone and electronic‑warfare systems to United Arab Emirates President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and other Gulf partners in exchange for ballistic‑missile support and financial aid. In a detailed Fox News interview, he said Ukraine is already sharing elements of its counter‑drone network with at least four Persian Gulf states — the UAE, Qatar, Jordan and Saudi Arabia — and has signed 10‑year defense agreements with Saudi Arabia and Qatar, with a similar deal with the UAE expected soon. Zelenskyy stressed that Kyiv faces a “big deficit” of PAC‑3 Patriot and other air‑defense missiles and warned that the Trump administration’s increasing military focus on Iran and Operation Epic Fury could slow weapons deliveries to Ukraine. He also accused Moscow of deepening military cooperation with Tehran by sharing drone technology and tactics, arguing Russia has an interest in prolonging Middle East instability to divert U.S. attention, and vowed Ukraine will not cede territory in the Donbas despite sustained Russian assaults. Ukrainian officials reported that more than 270 Russian drones struck Ukraine overnight Friday, killing at least five people, underscoring Kyiv’s urgency as it seeks additional air defenses from partners already under Iranian drone threat themselves.