“Our teams are already in the UAE, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, and are heading to Kuwait,” Zelensky told members of the UK parliament on Tuesday as he urged them not to forget about the war in Ukraine.

More than 200 Ukrainian military specialists have been deployed to the Middle East and Gulf region to help partner countries defend against Iranian-made Shahed drones, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Tuesday. 

Speaking before members of the UK parliament in London, Zelensky said that 201 Ukrainian experts are currently operating in the region, with an additional 34 ready for deployment.

“These are military experts who know how to help, how to defend against Shahed drones,” Zelensky said. “Our teams are already in the [UAE], Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, and on the way to Kuwait.”

Zelensky added that Ukraine is also cooperating with several other countries, noting that relevant agreements have already been signed.

“We do not want this terror of the Iranian regime against its neighbors to succeed,” he said.

According to the president, the deployment was carried out at the request of international partners, including the US.

This is despite US President Donald Trump’s insistence last week that Washington does not need or want Kyiv’s assistance with drone defense. 

“No, they are not helping. We do not need their help. We know more about drones than anyone else. We have the best drones, actually,” he told Fox News on Friday.

He doubled down on the remarks on Sunday, saying “the last person we need help from is Zelensky.”

Zelensky on Tuesday described the effort with its partners as part of a broader drone cooperation proposal that Ukraine has put forward to Washington, which remains under discussion.

Ukraine is prepared to expand similar agreements to other allies, Zelensky said, offering practical cooperation in drone defense as well as the potential for deeper future security partnerships.

“I don’t think anyone would want to leave Ukraine’s war-proven strengths and capability outside their security,” he said. “If someone does, it wouldn’t be wise.”

During his trip to the UK, Zelensky urged parliamentarians and peers to maintain pressure on Russia whilst explaining the dangers of Moscow’s partnership with Tehran in developing drone warfare.

He described the regimes, being longstanding allies, as “brothers in hatred.”

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said on Tuesday that “the focus must remain on Ukraine” despite the conflict in the Middle East, adding: “[Russian President Vladimir] Putin can’t be the one who benefits from a conflict in Iran, whether that’s oil prices or the dropping of sanctions.”

https://www.kyivpost.com/post/72116