AdvertisementAdvertisementUkraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks during an interview with The Associated Press, in Istanbul, Turkey, Saturday, April 4, 2026. (Photo: AP/Khalil Hamra)06 Apr 2026 01:51AM Bookmark Bookmark WhatsApp Telegram Facebook Twitter Email LinkedInAdd CNA as a trusted source to help Google better understand and surface our content in search results.Read a summary of this article on FAST.Get bite-sized news via a newcards interface. Give it a try.Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FASTFAST DAMASCUS: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa on Sunday (Apr 5), after arriving in Damascus alongside Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.The visit follows Zelenskyy's trip to Turkey on Saturday and a Gulf tour last week, against the backdrop of the war in the Middle East, where he sought to clinch security deals and exchange Ukrainian drone expertise for air defence missiles.Zelenskyy said in an X post that the two leaders "went over the circumstances of Russia's war against Ukraine — I am grateful for the support. There is strong interest in exchanging military and security experience.""We also touched on Ukraine's role as a reliable supplier of food products and discussed joint opportunities to strengthen food security across the region," he added.UKRAINE SEEKS AIR DEFENCE SUPPORTShow MoreShow LessUkraine, which is battling relentless Russian drone and missile barrages daily, urgently needs US Patriot air defence ammunition and fears supplies may sink due to the Middle East war. Kyiv has therefore sought to leverage its expertise in countering Russian drones, similar to those Iran has used in retaliatory attacks across Gulf nations.Last week, Zelenskyy visited several Middle Eastern countries and signed defence agreements with Qatar and Saudi Arabia.Fuel reservoir hit at Russia's Primorsk, NORSI refinery on fire after drone attacks Erdogan, Zelenskyy discuss energy security and peace efforts in Istanbul talks14 dead as Russia launches new daytime attacks on UkraineSYRIA'S BALANCING ACT WITH RUSSIARussia was a key ally of Sharaa's predecessor Bashar al-Assad, now exiled in Moscow, during Syria's 14-year civil war, supporting him with airstrikes. But the new Syrian leader, who once commanded rebels against Assad, has appeared to maintain balanced relations with Moscow.In January, Sharaa met President Vladimir Putin and has so far not asked Russia to withdraw from its military bases on Syrian soil.Source: AFP/fsSign up for our newslettersGet our pick of top stories and thought-provoking articles in your inboxSubscribe hereGet the CNA appStay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best storiesDownload hereGet WhatsApp alertsJoin our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat appJoin hereAlso worth readingContent is loading...Expand to read the full storyGet bite-sized news via a newcards interface. Give it a try.Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FASTFAST