Qatar and Ukraine have signed a defence cooperation agreement as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Doha on Saturday for a working visit.
Qatar’s Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Amir’s office in Lusail Palace on Saturday to discuss the latest regional and international developments amid regional escalations, including Iran’s ongoing attacks on Qatar and other Gulf states, and developments in the Ukrainian crisis.
The meeting was attended by senior officials from both countries, including Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.
Zelenskyy reaffirmed Ukraine’s solidarity with Qatar and condemned Iranian aggression, expressing his country’s support for the measures Qatar has taken to protect its sovereignty, security, and citizens. Sheikh Tamim expressed gratitude for Ukraine’s supportive positions.
Both sides called for an immediate halt to military operations that could widen the conflict in the Middle East and Ukraine, warning that continued escalation threatens regional and international security. They also reviewed bilateral cooperation in technology, security, defence and energy.
Sheikh Tamim later hosted a luncheon in honour of Zelenskyy and his delegation.
The visit is Zelenskyy’s third Gulf stop this week, following trips to Saudi Arabia on Thursday and the United Arab Emirates on Friday, as Kyiv expands defence partnerships across the region amid Iran’s ongoing attacks on Gulf states.
He was welcomed upon landing by Qatar’s Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mohammed Al Khulaifi, and Ukraine’s Ambassador to Qatar, Andriy Kuzmenko.
“I arrived in Qatar. Real security is built on partnership – we value everyone and remain open to supporting all those who are ready to work together for this goal,” Zelenskyy said in a post on X.
On the sidelines of the visit, Qatar and Ukraine signed a defence cooperation agreement between the two countries’ ministries of defence, covering collaboration in technological fields, the development of joint projects, defence investments and the exchange of expertise in countering missiles and unmanned aerial systems.
The agreement was signed on the Qatari side by Lt. Gen. (Pilot) Jassim bin Mohammed Al Mannai, Chief of Staff of Qatar Armed Forces, and on the Ukrainian side by Lt. Gen. Andriy Hnatov, Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The agreement was signed in the presence of Sheikh Saud bin Abdulrahman bin Hassan Al Thani, Qatar’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Affairs, and Secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council Rustem Umerov.
Sheikh Saud had earlier met with Umerov and Hnatov to discuss regional security developments and defence cooperation, with the Chief of Staff of Qatar Armed Forces also in attendance.
In a recent interview with Le Monde, Zelenskyy said Kyiv is expanding cooperation with Middle Eastern countries on air defence, with expert teams already deployed across the region.
Ukraine has deployed more than 200 drone-countering specialists to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE, sharing battlefield expertise in intercepting Iranian-made Shahed drones, which Russia has also used against Ukraine.