Burc Eruygur and Rania Abushamala
24 April 2026•Update: 24 April 2026
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday said that his country and Saudi Arabia are "actively" developing a “strategic security arrangement.”
In a statement on US social media platform X after meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during a visit to the Gulf country, Zelenskyy stated appreciation for their “constructive cooperation” and described their talks as “very productive.”
Zelenskyy said a “strategic security arrangement” between the two countries is being "actively" developed across three key areas: the export of “Ukrainian security expertise and capabilities in air defense,” energy cooperation and food security.
“We are working together to strengthen our peoples and our partners. We have set tasks for our teams, and I expect their prompt and full implementation,” Zelenskyy further said.
He went on to argue that it is this kind of bilateral engagement that restores confidence “when international relations are significantly destabilized,” adding they also exchanged assessments of the situation in the Middle East and the Gulf.
“Yesterday, at a meeting with European leaders, we secured financial guarantees for our resilience. Today, we are advancing our agreements with Saudi Arabia in the areas of security, energy, and infrastructure,” Zelenskyy wrote on X upon his arrival in the country.
The Ukrainian president also visited Saudi Arabia late last month, during which he said the two countries reached an “important arrangement” on defense cooperation that “lays the foundation for future contracts, technological cooperation, and investment.”
According to the Saudi Press Agency, the meeting between bin Salman and Zelenskyy took place in Jeddah, where they reviewed bilateral relations and explored ways to enhance cooperation.
They also discussed regional and international developments, particularly the situation in the Middle East and the latest developments in the Russia-Ukraine war.
