Zelenskyy arrives in Saudi Arabia for talks with crown prince

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy landed in Saudi Arabia on Friday for talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, as Kyiv continues to expand its diplomatic and economic partnerships beyond Europe. “Today, we are advancing our agreements with Saudi Arabia in the areas of security, energy and infrastructure,” Zelenskyy wrote on X, adding that the cooperation is “mutual.” The visit follows a series of defense and economic deals Zelenskyy secured during his Middle East tour in early March, including 10-year cooperation agreements with Saudi Arabia and Qatar—the first such accords Ukraine has signed in the region.

European support and financial guarantees

Zelenskyy also attended a gathering of European leaders in Greek Cyprus on Thursday, where he met with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, European Council President Antonio Costa, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. During the meeting, Ukraine “secured financial guarantees” for Kyiv’s resilience, and discussions focused on defense cooperation. Addressing the European Council, Zelenskyy underlined that Kyiv is now actively working with countries in the Middle East and the Gulf. “We are preparing cooperation with the Caucasus and talking to other partners,” he added.