KYIV (March 15): 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. Zelenskiy has said that almost a dozen countries across the world have sought help from Ukraine on how to counter these attacks. Zelenskiy also said that he was unsure whether Ukraine and the US would sign a deal on drone co-operation, which Kyiv has sought to agree for months.

Source: The Edge Markets March 15, 2026 11:19 UTC