This handout photo released by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) on April 24, 2026 shows Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (R) meeting with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, in Jeddah. - / AFP
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday, April 24, held security talks with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in his second trip to the country in recent weeks. Zelensky has brokered closer ties with several states in the Gulf amid the US-Israeli war with Iran, striking defense deals – including with Riyadh – to share Kyiv's expertise in downing drones, gained through fending off over four years of Russian attacks.
Zelensky said on social media that he had held a "very productive meeting with the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia," posting a photo of them in an ornate, wood-paneled room. He said the countries were developing ties across three areas: "the export of Ukrainian security expertise and capabilities in air defense," energy and food security.
During his visit last month, Zelensky said the two sides had "reached an important arrangement" on air defense. The deal envisaged a decade-long agreement on security cooperation, including the establishment of joint production lines, he said.
