Ukraine Offers Drone Support to US in Middle East Under One Condition: Access to Advanced Tech and Funding

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday that Kyiv has sent three specialist teams to the Middle East to help counter Iranian-made drones, and that Ukraine expects advanced military technology and financial support in return for the assistance.

The teams were dispatched to Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and a US military base in Jordan, Al Jazeera reported. Their task is to assess existing air defence systems and demonstrate how low-cost drone interception operates in the field.

Gulf nations have been expending large quantities of expensive interceptor missiles to fend off Iranian Shahed drone barrages since the US-Israel war with Iran began on 28 February. Iran has targeted countries across the region that host American military bases, with strikes hitting airports, ports and residential areas in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

Zelenskyy said that longer-term drone agreements with Gulf countries were under discussion, but that the terms of what Ukraine would receive had not been settled. He stressed that the deployment was advisory, not operational.

Zelenskyy Puts Unsigned $50 Billion Drone Deal on the Table

Zelenskyy disclosed that Ukraine had proposed a drone production agreement with the United States nearly a year ago, valued at $35 billion to $50 billion (£26.5 billion to £37.8 billion). The deal would involve roughly 200 Ukrainian firms working in drone manufacturing, artificial intelligence and electronic warfare, with half of all production going to American partners.

The White House has not signed it. Zelenskyy said he could not explain why, and was unsure whether the agreement would ever be finalised.

US President Donald Trump publicly dismissed Ukraine's offer. He told Fox News Radio on Friday that America did not need help on drone defence.

In a phone call with NBC News on Saturday, Trump called Zelenskyy the last person Washington needed assistance from.

'Rhetoric is rhetoric,' Zelenskyy responded when asked about Trump's remarks.

Reports said senior US officials had shown little interest when a Ukrainian delegation presented its counter-drone technology last summer. That changed after Iran began striking American targets across the Gulf. Zelenskyy said multiple US military institutions had since reached out to Kyiv for support, though he did not give specifics.

Ukraine's Counter-Drone Expertise Draws Global Interest

Moscow has launched tens of thousands of Shahed-type drones, designed in Iran, against Ukrainian cities, power stations, and military positions since the autumn of 2022. One nighttime barrage alone involved more than 800 drones and decoys. A spokesperson for Ukraine's air force told NBC that between 150 and 200 attack drones now strike the country daily, with the heaviest waves reaching 700.

Ukrainian engineers have developed interceptor drones costing a few thousand dollars apiece that can bring down Shaheds, otherwise requiring missiles priced at over a million dollars. Gulf states have been burning through those expensive stocks rapidly since the Iran conflict started.

Zelenskyy warned, however, that some foreign governments and private companies had been approaching Ukrainian manufacturers directly, attempting to bypass state channels. Kyiv plans to tighten procurement rules to prevent unauthorised sales.

Zelenskyy Flags Risks to Ukraine's Own Air Defences

Zelenskyy raised concerns that the Middle East conflict could divert air defence supplies away from the Ukrainian front, where Russian drone and missile strikes continue nightly. Six US service members were killed in a drone strike in Kuwait earlier this month, underscoring the threat Iranian drones pose to American forces in the region.

'We would very much not like the United States to step away from the issue of Ukraine because of the Middle East,' he said.

US-brokered peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow remain stalled.

In February, five European nations - France, Germany, Poland, the United Kingdom, and Italy - pledged millions to co-develop affordable drone defences using Ukrainian battlefield expertise, part of broader European efforts to bolster air defence capabilities along their borders with Russia. Countries in Africa and the Middle East have also approached Kyiv for assistance, according to Zelenskyy.