Zelenskiy holds call with UAE counterpart

KYIV - President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Monday discussed with the United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan UAE's assistance in bringing Ukrainians back from Russian captivity and the war in Iran.

Since the start of the wake of the Iran war, Ukraine has offered its battle-tested expertise in countering drones to the UAE and a handful of other Middle Eastern countries. Kyiv and the UAE struck a 10-year defence cooperation deal.

"I was glad to hear that Ukrainian expertise is truly helping to build reliable protection for lives. We discussed continuing this work," Zelenskiy said on X.

"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," Zelenskiy added.

(Reporting by Yuliia Dysa; Editing by Alistair Bell)

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This story was originally published May 11, 2026 at 11:22 AM.