Ukraine wants money and technology in exchange for helping Middle Eastern countries defend against Iranian kamikaze drones, President Volodymyr Zelensky said after Kiev sent experts to four countries in the region.
Zelenski told reporters in comments approved for publication on Sunday that each of the three teams sent to the Middle East consists of several dozen people who will conduct expert assessments and demonstrate how drone defenses should work.
The Gulf countries have already deployed large quantities of anti-aircraft missiles to defend against Iranian attack drones and have requested Ukraine’s expertise in shooting them down.
Kiev shoots down Russian drones every night using a range of weapons, including cheaper and smaller drones or jamming equipment.
Zelensky also said that a dozen countries around the world have asked Ukraine for advice on how to deal with such attacks.
He previously said teams were sent to Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, while another official said experts were also at a US military base in Jordan.
– This is not about participation in operations. We are not at war with Iran. It’s about protection and our thorough, full assessment of how to counter the Shahed, he added, referring to drones developed by Iran.
He said that the aid that Ukraine will receive in return still needs to be discussed.
– Honestly, both technology and financing are important to us now, he says.
He also said that he was not sure whether Ukraine and the US would sign an agreement on cooperation in the field of drones, which Kiev has been trying to reach for months.
(Vijesti.ba)
