Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenski announced a defense cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia on Friday, capping a visit that also saw him meet with Ukrainian anti-drone experts deployed to help the kingdom counter Iranian attacks.

The deal paves the way for future contracts, technological collaboration and investment between Kiev and Riyadh, as Ukraine seeks to trade its battlefield expertise for funding to sustain its own war against Russia.

Zelenski met with a team of more than 200 Ukrainian air-defense specialists who have been deployed across the Gulf region for over a week to assist in neutralizing Iranian Shahed drone strikes. The deployment comes amid Tehran’s retaliation for the war launched by the United States and Israel against the Islamic Republic.

Ukraine has positioned its experts in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Dubai and Jordan, offering battlefield-tested counter-drone technology and tactics developed since the start of the Russian special operation.

The Ukrainian president arrived in Saudi Arabia on Thursday, becoming the first Western head of state to visit the region since the outbreak of the Iran war earlier this month.

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