Ukraine, UAE agree to cooperate on defence: Zelensky
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, meets with Volodymyr Zelenskiy, President of Ukraine, in the United Arab Emirates in this undated handout picture released March 28, 2026. PHOTO: REUTERS
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday he had met with United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and that they had agreed to cooperate in the field of security and defence.
"Our teams will finalise the details," Zelensky said on the Telegram app.
The two leaders tackled opportunities to advance bilateral cooperation under the Comprehensive Economic Agreement between the two sides, the Emirati state news agency WAM said, without further elaborating.
UAE and Ukrainian Presidents discuss cooperation and regional developments#WamNews https://t.co/sDpwOovAMq pic.twitter.com/wd9BHxdpBy
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They also discussed the security developments and military escalation in the region and their impact on international navigation and the global economy, WAM added.
Zelensky arrived in Saudi Arabia on Thursday, where the Saudi defence ministry signed an agreement on defence cooperation with Ukraine's defence ministry.
The Ukrainian leader also arrived in Qatar on Saturday.
Ukraine's foreign minister said on Friday that Kyiv was close to clinching several security agreements, including with the UAE and Qatar, to counter Iranian attacks.