Zelenskiy says Ukraine wants money, technology in return for Middle East drone help

KYIV, March 15 (Reuters) – Ukraine wants money and technology in return for helping Middle Eastern nations defend against Iranian kamikaze drones, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said, after Kyiv sent specialists to four countries in the region.

Zelenskiy told reporters in comments cleared for release on Sunday that each of the three teams sent to the Middle East consisted of dozens of people, who will conduct expert assessments and demonstrate how drone defences should operate.

Gulf states have expended large quantities of air-defence missiles to counter Iran’s attack drones and have sought Ukraine’s expertise in downing ​them. Kyiv downs Russian drones every night using an array of weaponry including cheaper, ​smaller drones or jamming equipment.

Zelenskiy has said that almost a dozen countries across the world have sought help from Ukraine on how to counter these attacks.

He said earlier this week that teams had been sent to Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, while another official said specialists had also been to a U.S. military base in Jordan.

“This is not about being involved in operations. We are not at war with Iran,” Zelenskiy said. “This is about protection and a thorough, complete assessment on our part of how to counter the Shaheds,” he added, referring to Shahed drones developed by Iran.

He said that what Ukraine will get in return for the assistance still needed to be discussed.

“Honestly, for us today, both the technology and the funding are important.”

Zelenskiy also said that he was unsure whether Ukraine and the U.S. would sign a deal on drone co-operation, which Kyiv has sought to agree for months.

(Reporting by Max Hunder and Yuliia Dysa;Editing by Elaine Hardcastle)