Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has arrived in Saudi Arabia for the second time in recent weeks, for talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
– Zelenskyy has brokered closer ties with several states in the Gulf amid the US-Israel war on Iran, striking defence deals – including with Riyadh – to share Kyiv’s expertise in downing drones, gained through fending off more than four years of Russian attacks.
– A senior Ukrainian official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the AFP news agency that Zelenskyy had landed in Jeddah to “continue discussing security cooperation”.
– During his visit last month, Zelenskyy said the two sides had “reached an important arrangement” on air defence. The deal envisaged a decade-long cooperation on defence, including establishing joint production lines, he said.
– Kyiv has dispatched dozens of military specialists and drone interceptors to several countries in the region, where they were used to shoot down incoming Iranian drones. It touts its anti-drone defences as the best in the world.
– Saudi Arabia has maintained good relations with both Kyiv and Moscow, and has also hosted talks with US officials searching for an end to the Russian invasion.
https://aje.news/zji0ro?update=4518331