Ukraine and Syria agreed to deepen security cooperation during talks on Sunday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, as Kyiv seeks to promote its military expertise across the region following the outbreak of the Iran war.
Zelenskyy, continuing his tour of Middle East countries, met with his Syrian counterpart, Ahmed al-Sharaa, in Damascus.
"We agreed to work together to provide more security and opportunities for development for our societies," Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram. "There is a great interest in exchanging military and security experience."
In recent weeks, Zelenskyy has visited Middle East countries, offering Ukrainian expertise in countering drone and missile attacks developed during its four-year war with Russia.
Since the war began on February 28, Iran and its proxies have launched strikes on U.S. allies and bases in the region.
Syria is not known to have any air defences capable of dealing with Iranian drones or missiles.
Zelenskyy also said Ukraine, a major grain producer, wants to contribute to food security in the Middle East and told the Syrian leader his country was a reliable supplier. The two presidents "discussed joint opportunities to strengthen food security across the region," he said.
Türkiye's Foreign Ministry said on X that Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met in Damascus with Zelenskyy and his counterparts from Syria, Asaad al-Shibani, and Ukraine, Andrii Sybiha.
Pictures of the meeting were posted without further details.
In Türkiye on Saturday, Zelenskyy said he had agreed on "new steps" in security cooperation with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and discussed opportunities in joint gas infrastructure projects and gas field development.
It was the Ukrainian leader's first trip to Syria since diplomatic relations were re-established at the end of last year following the fall of Syria's long-time dictator Bashar Assad in late 2024.
Zelenskyy's talks with al-Sharaa were linked to defense in light of the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran, said one Syrian source, a government adviser. Syria is not known to have any air defenses capable of dealing with Iranian drones or missiles.
During Zelenskyy's visits to Gulf states last weekend, Ukraine signed long-term military cooperation deals with Saudi Arabia and Qatar, and he said that a similar agreement was close to completion with UAE.
Syria is home to two major Russian military bases, used by its navy and air force. Sharaa said on Tuesday at an event in Chatham House in London that work was under way to transform these into "centers to train the Syrian army.
