Ukraine, Syria agree to cooperate on security, says Zelensky

DAMASCUS – Ukraine and Syria pledged greater security cooperation in talks on April 5, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said, as Kyiv seeks to promote its military expertise across the region following the outbreak of the US-Israeli war on Iran.

Mr Zelensky, continuing his tour of Middle East countries, met his Syrian counterpart Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus.

“We agreed to work together to provide more security and opportunities for development for our societies,” Mr Zelensky wrote on the Telegram messaging app.

In a later post, he said there had been wide-ranging discussions with the Syrian leader and three-way talks that included Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.

“We managed to discuss everything: from security and defence issues and the situation in the region due to all the events around Iran to energy and infrastructure cooperation between our countries,” Mr Zelensky wrote.

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

Since the war began on Feb 28, Iran and its proxies have launched strikes on US allies and bases in the region.

Syria is not known to have any air defences capable of dealing with Iranian drones or missiles.

Food security

Mr Zelensky also said Ukraine, a major grain producer, wanted to contribute to Middle East food security and told the Syrian leader that Kyiv was a reliable supplier.

The two leaders discussed opportunities to strengthen regional food security, he said.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, writing on social media platform X, described the visit as a “milestone”. He said his talks with the Syrian and Turkish foreign ministers covered security and maritime trade among other topics.

In Turkey on April 4, Mr Zelensky said he had agreed to new security cooperation steps with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, and discussed joint gas infrastructure projects and gas field development.

It was the Ukrainian leader’s first trip to Syria since diplomatic relations were restored in September following the fall of Syria’s long-time leader Bashar al-Assad in late 2024.

Mr Zelensky signed long-term military cooperation deals with Saudi Arabia and Qatar last weekend, and he said a similar agreement was close with the United Arab Emirates.

Syria is home to two major Russian military bases. Mr Sharaa has said Syria wants to turn them into army training centres. REUTERS