An expert discussion titled “The Middle East and Ukraine: the path toward becoming a security contributor and one of the most sought-after partners in military-technical cooperation” was held at the press center of the Interfax-Ukraine news agency.
Among the participants was Valentyn Haidai, Director of the Intermarium Institute and Candidate of Historical Sciences.
Valentyn Haidai emphasized the growing role of Ukraine as a global actor in military-technical cooperation. According to him, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s recent visit to Middle Eastern monarchies, as well as the signing of several defense-industrial cooperation agreements, represents an important step toward strengthening Ukraine’s international standing. He described these agreements as beneficial for Ukraine, as they promote the export of domestic technologies and products while also enhancing the country’s geopolitical status.
According to the Director of the Intermarium Institute, Ukraine’s unique experience gained during the full-scale war — particularly in counter-drone warfare — is shaping a new quality of the country as a security partner. In his assessment, Ukraine has not only accumulated unprecedented practical expertise, but has also demonstrated high effectiveness in destroying aerial targets, making it one of the key players in this field.
In a broader geopolitical context, the expert noted that Ukraine’s influence is gradually increasing both in the Middle East and in the Baltic-Black Sea region. This opens the prospect of Ukraine gaining the status of a regional leader in the medium and long term. At the same time, strengthening the country’s defense capabilities will remain the key factor in this process.
Valentyn Haidai also pointed to the paradoxical effect of regional conflicts, particularly in the Persian Gulf area. According to him, despite the overall destabilization, there is a limited group of states that may derive certain benefits from such developments. He named Israel, for which Iran remains an existential adversary, as well as Russia, which on the one hand receives short-term economic gains from energy exports, but on the other risks losing allies.
At the same time, in the expert’s view, Ukraine is one of the few countries capable of converting its wartime experience into strategic advantages. This concerns, above all, the transfer of knowledge and technologies in the field of counter-drone defense, which strengthens its role as a security guarantor, reliable partner, and influential player in international affairs.
Source: Press Service of the Intermarium Institute
