Zelenskyy, UAE President discuss security cooperation amid Iranian drone threats

International, Middle East

KYIV, Ukraine (NPA) — Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday held a telephone conversation with the President of the United Arab Emirates, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, focusing on regional security and ongoing cooperation between both countries.

According to the Ukrainian president, discussions centred on renewed drone attacks launched by Iran against Gulf countries, including the UAE and Kuwait.

Zelenskyy condemned the attacks and stressed the importance of continued security collaboration between Ukraine and the UAE to protect lives and infrastructure in the Gulf region.

“Against this backdrop, it is critical that our teams continue to work closely together in the area of security. I was glad to hear that Ukrainian expertise is truly helping build reliable protection for lives. We discussed continuing this work,” Zelenskyy said.

Ukraine and the UAE had earlier signed a defence cooperation agreement at the onset of the conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran, aimed at strengthening the UAE’s air defence capabilities against Iranian-made drones.

The Ukrainian president also thanked Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan for his role in facilitating the return of Ukrainian prisoners of war from Russian captivity as part of recent prisoner exchange arrangements.

“We count on this work to continue,” Zelenskyy said.

The leaders also discussed bilateral cooperation in the energy sector and other strategic areas.

“I am grateful to the UAE that our agreements are being implemented on the basis of reciprocity and that Ukraine is also receiving the support it needs, including in the energy sector. We also discussed other potential projects in various areas. Thank you!” he added.