Zelenskiy: Ukraine and Syria Agree on Security Cooperation

(Patria) - Ukraine and Syria promised greater security cooperation in talks on Sunday, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said, as Kyiv seeks to promote its military expertise across the region following the outbreak of the US-Israeli war against Iran, Reuters reported.

Zelenskiy, continuing his tour of Middle Eastern countries, met with his Syrian counterpart Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus.

"We agreed to work together to ensure more security and opportunities for the development of our societies," Zelenskiy wrote on Telegram.
In a later post, Zelenskiy said there were broad talks with the Syrian leader and trilateral talks that included Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.

"We managed to discuss everything: from security and defense issues and the situation in the region due to all the events around Iran to energy and infrastructure cooperation between our countries," he stated.

In recent weeks, Zelenskiy has visited Middle Eastern countries, offering Ukrainian expertise in countering drone and missile attacks developed in the four-year war with Russia.

Since the start of the war on February 28, Iran and its allies have launched attacks on US allies and bases in the region.

It is not known whether Syria has air defense capable of countering Iranian drones and missiles.

Food Security

Zelenskiy also said that Ukraine, a major grain producer, wants to contribute to food security in the Middle East and told the Syrian leader that Kyiv is a reliable supplier. The two presidents discussed opportunities to strengthen regional food security, he said.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, writing on social media X, described the visit as a "turning point." He said his talks with the Syrian and Turkish foreign ministers covered, among other things, security and maritime trade.

On Saturday in Turkey, Zelenskiy said he agreed on new steps for security cooperation with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and discussed joint gas infrastructure projects and gas field development.

It was the first visit by a Ukrainian leader to Syria since the restoration of diplomatic relations in September following the fall of long-time Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad in late 2024.

Last weekend, Zelenskiy signed long-term military cooperation agreements with Saudi Arabia and Qatar, and said a similar agreement was close with the United Arab Emirates.

There are two large Russian military bases in Syria. Al-Sharaa said he wants to turn them into military training centers.