European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has endorsed the idea of using Ukraine’s battle-tested drone defense expertise to help Gulf states counter the Iranian Shahed drone threat, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and confirmed by her own public statements. Kallas raised the matter before chairing a meeting of EU and Gulf foreign ministers, signaling strong European institutional support for Ukraine’s expanding global defense role.
Zelenskyy welcomed the EU’s support and confirmed that Ukraine was already acting on this mandate. He stated that he had spoken directly with leaders from the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, and Kuwait about defense cooperation, and that a formal US request for drone defense assistance had been fulfilled with the provision of both equipment and Ukrainian technical experts.
The convergence of EU, US, and Gulf interest in Ukraine’s capabilities reflects the breadth of the Shahed drone threat and the uniqueness of Ukraine’s response to it. Ukrainian engineers developed interceptors costing as little as $1,000 per unit through four years of sustained combat experience, creating solutions that are both affordable and proven. This combination has made Ukraine’s approach a global reference point for anti-drone defense.
The EU dimension of this endorsement is particularly significant. Kallas’s support signals that Europe views Ukraine’s role not merely as a bilateral matter but as a contribution to broader regional security architecture. The EU-Gulf ministerial talks, with Ukraine’s expertise on the agenda, represent a new format for the internationalization of Ukraine’s defense innovations.
Zelenskyy tied the EU endorsement and Gulf partnerships to Ukraine’s core diplomatic goals, noting that assistance flows to nations that support Ukraine’s security and peace efforts. He acknowledged that the Iran crisis has temporarily disrupted the Russia-Ukraine peace process, but expressed confidence that the multilateral coalition being built around Ukraine’s expertise will ultimately serve Kyiv’s interests when negotiations with Russia resume.