Zelenskyy: Ukraine strikes 10-year security, energy deals with Gulf states

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Ukraine has agreed long-term, ten-year security and energy partnerships with three countries in the Gulf, as Kyiv seeks to strengthen its defence capabilities and energy resilience amid the ongoing war.

In comments posted on Telegram, Zelenskyy said Ukrainian companies would work alongside the armed forces of Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain to protect key infrastructure sites, with cooperation covering a range of services and weapons systems.

He said the arrangements include the supply of interceptor systems to defend energy infrastructure in some cases, while in others, they involve financial agreements and energy resources. Kyiv, he added, would receive oil and diesel under the deals, with crude supplies processed at refineries in Europe.

“This all strengthens Ukraine’s energy stability,” Zelenskyy said, describing the agreements as part of a broader framework linking security assistance with economic and energy cooperation.

Separately, Zelenskyy said repairs to the Druzhba pipeline would be completed this spring, potentially allowing the resumption of oil transit flows. He said the pipeline had sustained significant damage, including to storage facilities, warning that full restoration would take time.

“We do not know whether the Russians will refrain from further strikes,” he added, referring to continued risks to energy infrastructure.

The Ukrainian president also commented on EU-related negotiations, saying that decisions on funding and sanctions were matters for European partners.

His remarks come as Hungary has reportedly blocked €90bn in EU credit and delayed elements of the bloc’s latest sanctions package, while demanding the restoration of oil transit via Druzhba in exchange for financial approvals.

By Aghakazim Guliyev