Overview
- Volodymyr Zelensky met Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah on April 24 to push agreements on security, energy, and infrastructure in his second Saudi visit in weeks.
- Kyiv set three priorities for cooperation with the kingdom that focus on exporting Ukrainian air-defense expertise, boosting Ukraine’s energy resilience, and supporting food security.
- The talks build on a late‑March defense arrangement reported to span a decade with potential joint production lines, as Ukraine shares anti‑drone tactics and sends specialists to regional partners.
- Zelensky traveled on to Azerbaijan on April 25 for talks with President Ilham Aliyev on security and energy in a bid to widen these partnerships in the South Caucasus.
- The push follows the European Union’s April 23 approval of a 90‑billion‑euro loan and new Russia sanctions, which provide parallel financial backing as Ukraine seeks broader regional ties.