By Sarah Young
LONDON, March 17 (Reuters) – Britain and Ukraine agreed to work together to sell drone technology abroad during a visit on Tuesday by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, meant to reinforce support for Kyiv when surging oil prices from war in Iran have been a boon for Moscow.
European leaders are keen to keep Ukraine in focus as global attention has switched to the Middle East. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte joined the talks to discuss drones, related technologies and Euro-Atlantic security.
Four years on from Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Kyiv has become a world leader in drone and anti-drone technologies.
Britain, a close ally, wants to help Ukraine use that position to support countries in the Gulf which are under regular attack from Iran, including from Shahed drones which Tehran has supplied to Moscow and have become one of Russia’s key weapons.
Zelenskiy said more than 200 Ukrainians are deployed across the Middle East and Gulf region, where they have been sent at the request of partners, including the U.S.
He added that this forms part of a broader drone agreement proposed to the U.S., and Ukraine is prepared to offer similar arrangements to all its partners.
AI ON THE BATTLEFIELD
Starmer said on Monday that allies must not be distracted in their support for Ukraine by the escalating conflict in the Middle East, saying the war and subsequent spike in energy prices must not deliver a “windfall for Putin”.
Ukraine and its European allies hit out at a U.S. temporary waiver issued last week which allowed countries to buy sanctioned Russian oil and petroleum products stranded at sea.
At the meeting in London, Starmer and Zelenskiy agreed a new military-industrial partnership aimed at boosting the supply of drones and ensuring AI is used effectively on the battlefield, the statement from Downing Street said.
Ukraine’s drone expertise will be combined with Britain’s manufacturing base to boost the supply of drones, the statement said.
Britain has been one of Ukraine’s biggest supporters since the Russian invasion in 2022, consistently advocating for Zelenskiy as well as providing military equipment and munitions.
The pair will look for opportunities to cooperate with third countries on drones, Britain said. It also announced a small investment of 500,000 pounds ($660,000) in a new AI centre in Ukraine to look at its use on the frontlines.
The talks with Rutte will also explore progress on the so-called Coalition of the Willing, which could provide support to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire and the need to maintain sanctions pressure on Russia.
In a separate statement Britain said it was working with Finland, the Netherlands and other countries to set up a joint defence financing and procurement mechanism to boost demand, accelerate investment and increase the availability of munitions.
($1 = 0.7524 pounds)
(Reporting by Sarah Young in London and Anusha Shah in Bengaluru; Additional reporting by Catarina Demony and Yullia Dysa; Editing by Jamie Freed, Kate Holton, Peter Graff)
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