The Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky arrived this Friday in Saudi Arabia to meet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, during a visit focused on advancing bilateral agreements in the areas of security, energy, and infrastructure.
It is the second time in less than a month that Zelensky visits the Saudi kingdom, reflecting the growing strategic importance of this alliance for Kyiv at a time of stagnation in peace negotiations with Russia.
"Yesterday, at a meeting with European leaders, we secured financial guarantees for our resilience. Today, we advance our agreements with Saudi Arabia in the areas of security, energy, and infrastructure. It is important that the strengthening is mutual. I value the substantive cooperation between our countries," said Zelensky, in the context of the preliminary approval of a €90 billion loan for Ukraine by the European Union.
Among the concrete results of the visit, the signing of the first Defense Cooperation Agreement between the ministries of both countries stands out, marking a historic milestone in bilateral relations that opens new avenues for military collaboration.
It was also agreed to deploy over 200 experts in counter-drone measures as part of the security cooperation commitments made during the meeting.
On the diplomatic front, Russia has maintained a situation pause since April 6, while Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has indicated that peace negotiations with Ukraine are not a priority for Russia at this time.
In that context, the alliance with Saudi Arabia represents an alternative path for Zelensky to strengthen Ukraine's position on the international stage, diversifying its support beyond the Western bloc.
Filed under: