Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Damascus for talks with Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, accompanied by Turkey’s top diplomat

DAMASCUS: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in the Syrian capital on Sunday for talks with President Ahmed al-Sharaa. He was accompanied by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.

The visit follows Zelensky’s trip to Turkey on Saturday and a tour of Gulf states last week. He has been seeking security deals and to exchange Ukrainian drone expertise for air defence missiles.

“Important meetings lie ahead,” Zelensky said in a social media post from Damascus. He added that “every nation and every region deserves a peaceful life.”

A senior official said talks would cover “cooperation between countries” and the “security situation in the region.” Syria’s state news agency published pictures of the Ukrainian and Turkish officials being welcomed at the airport.

Ukraine is urgently seeking more air defence systems to counter daily Russian missile and drone attacks. It fears supplies may be diverted due to the ongoing Middle East conflict.

Kyiv has aimed to leverage its expertise in countering drones, which are similar to models Iran has used in attacks on Gulf nations. Zelensky signed new defence agreements with Qatar and Saudi Arabia during his tour last week.

Russia was a key ally of Syria’s former leader, Bashar al-Assad, during the country’s civil war. It provided crucial military support, including airstrikes.

The new Syrian leader, al-Sharaa, once commanded rebels against Assad but has maintained balanced relations with Moscow. He met Russian President Vladimir Putin in January and has not asked Russia to withdraw its forces from Syrian bases.

 The Sun Malaysia