As the Iran War focuses international attention on the Middle East, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy traveled to the Gulf region in late March on a whirlwind tour that showcased wartime Ukraine’s rising military profile and growing geopolitical clout.
The Ukrainian leader’s flying visit involved high level stop-offs in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar. Since the outbreak of hostilities in the Middle East almost a month ago, all three Gulf states have sought Ukraine’s help to defend against Iranian drones. Kyiv initially responded by sending a number of drone interception teams to bolster regional air defenses. Zelenskyy’s recent trip aimed to build on these fledgling partnerships.
Initial results are promising. While visiting the region, Zelenskyy signed a series of what he termed as “historic” security agreements with his Gulf counterparts. While no details have been released, it is believed that these agreements envisage Ukraine sharing the country’s anti-drone experience and technological expertise in exchange for benefits including financial support, secure energy supplies, and strategic investments. There is also thought to be considerable mutual interest in developing longer term partnerships across the defense and tech sectors.
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It is easy to understand why the Gulf states gave Zelenskyy such a warm welcome. Over the past month, it has become apparent that existing air defense networks are poorly suited to the novel challenges presented by large numbers of Iranian attack drones. While sophisticated air defense systems such as the US-made Patriot are able to shoot down drones, the high cost and limited availability of interceptor missiles make such systems impractical as a long-term solution.
Nobody understands this better than the Ukrainians. Throughout the past four years, the skies above Ukraine have become a vast laboratory for the development of drone warfare. Russia initially purchased drones from Iran, but has more recently established its own domestic production lines. This has made it possible to dramatically increase the scale of attacks. Russia now routinely launches five hundred drones or more at Ukrainian cities in a single night.
Ukrainian drone producers have responded to this growing threat by developing a range of interceptor drones capable of operating within Ukraine’s existing multi-layered air defense ecosystem. These interceptors are significantly cheaper to manufacture than the drones they are targeting and can be produced in bulk. With a number of wealthy Gulf states now apparently ready to finance Ukrainian drone companies, it is likely that interceptor output will soon skyrocket.
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Signing ten-year defense partnership agreements with three leading Gulf states is a significant outcome for Ukraine. However, the positive optics that surrounded Zelenskyy’s recent regional tour may have been even more important for the country.
Since the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion more than four years ago, Ukraine has been widely seen as a recipient of military aid and a drain on international resources. Zelenskyy’s visit directly challenged this unflattering and outdated view. For the first time, Ukraine was presented as a potentially attractive security partner with much to offer in terms of unique military experience and innovative defense technologies.
For anyone who has been closely following the Russia-Ukraine War, this is hardly news. Over past four years, Ukraine has built Europe’s largest army and has emerged as a world leader in drone warfare. The country’s formerly stagnant defense industry has expanded exponentially and now produces millions of drones every year as well as a growing arsenal of domestically developed cruise missiles.
This has made it possible for the Ukrainian military to blunt Russia’s offensives along the front lines of the war. At sea, Ukraine has used domestically designed marine drones to chase Putin’s Black Sea Fleet away from Crimea. Meanwhile, Kyiv has brought the war back to Russian territory with a long-range bombing campaign that recently knocked out around 40 percent of Russia’s oil export capacity.
Ukraine’s emergence as a major military force is already transforming the balance of power in Europe and will define Kyiv’s relationships with the wider world for decades to come. Zelenskyy’s tour of the Gulf states has helped to highlight this new geopolitical reality.
The Ukrainian leader’s trip was in many ways a masterclass in wartime diplomacy. By moving so nimbly, Zelenskyy secured vital support for the Ukrainian war effort and laid the foundations for potentially game-changing strategic partnerships with the Gulf states. Crucially, he also debunked negative perceptions of his country and enhanced Ukraine’s global standing as a drone warfare superpower.
Peter Dickinson is editor of the Atlantic Council’s UkraineAlert service.
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The views expressed in UkraineAlert are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Atlantic Council, its staff, or its supporters.
The Eurasia Center’s mission is to enhance transatlantic cooperation in promoting stability, democratic values, and prosperity in Eurasia, from Eastern Europe and Turkey in the West to the Caucasus, Russia, and Central Asia in the East.
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Image: Suhail bin Mohamed Al Mazrouei, UAE Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, receives Volodymyr Zelenskiy, President of Ukraine, in the United Arab Emirates in this undated handout picture released March 28, 2026. Hamad Al Kaabi/UAE Presidential Court/Handout via REUTERS