ISTANBUL 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday that Kyiv expects Middle Eastern countries to assist with diesel supplies in exchange for help countering Shahed missiles from Iran.

Zelenskyy told Ukraine-based ICTV channel that during his visit to the Middle East, he is “closing the issue” of diesel supplies to Kyiv.

Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine is providing Middle Eastern countries with expertise to protect civilian infrastructure and civilians, underlining that the “main challenge” for the region remains protection against Iranian drones despite their significant air defense systems.

He said he held two “important meetings” during his visit to the Middle East, saying they were “positive” for Ukraine, but did not provide details.

Earlier, Zelenskyy said his country and Saudi Arabia reached an “important arrangement” on defense cooperation during his visit to the Gulf nation.

Regarding his meeting with the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, he said they discussed the situation in the Middle East and the Gulf region, as well as developments in fuel supplies.

He also met with a group of Ukrainian military experts who have been in the Gulf nation for the last week to help counter Iranian drones.​​​​​​​