Zelenskyy: Ukraine’s Black Sea experience could be applied to key global sea lanes

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Ukraine’s military expertise in the Black Sea could be extended to help secure other strategically important maritime routes worldwide, as Kyiv steps up security cooperation with partners across the Middle East and beyond.

In a statement published on Telegram, Zelenskyy said he had reviewed a report by Rustem Umerov, Secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council, outlining the first phase of engagement with partner countries in the Middle East and the Persian Gulf.

According to the president, Ukraine’s battlefield experience and defence capabilities are increasingly being recognised and utilised to bolster the security of partner nations.

“Every nation deserves security, and we are ready to provide swift and effective support to those who back our state and independence,” Zelenskyy said.

He noted that this includes countering aerial threats such as strike drones, as well as addressing maritime security challenges. “Ukraine’s experience in the Black Sea can be applied to other globally significant sea routes,” he added.

Zelenskyy said Ukraine is currently in security discussions with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Jordan, Türkiye, Syria, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain, with additional requests for cooperation coming from Iraq.

He added that discussions are also underway on potential joint initiatives with countries in the Caucasus, as well as in East and Southeast Asia, while African nations have submitted what he described as “substantive” requests for cooperation.

Kyiv is also preparing the groundwork for deeper security agreements in Europe, with Zelenskyy saying he expects tangible results as early as this week.

The president said he had instructed Umerov to finalise draft agreements on new security arrangements and prepare them for signing.

By Aghakazim Guliyev