Ukraine will receive much-needed fossil fuels from Gulf countries in exchange for the defense assistance it is providing, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

Kyiv made defense pacts with Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates in March, but further details of those agreements were not revealed then. At the time, Iran’s drone swarms were battering the region in response to American and Israeli attacks.

Middle Eastern allies of Washington looked to Kyiv for help — they wanted Ukraine’s drone combat expertise, accrued over four years of war with Russia. Last month, Zelenskyy sent more than 200 Ukrainian soldiers from his anti-drone units to the Middle East to help those countries fend off Iran’s low-cost Shahed drones — a variant of what Ukraine has faced from Russia. 

On Friday Zelenskyy explained the defense deals in a briefing to journalists.

“We have arranged ten-year agreements with three countries,” he said, adding that in return for its combat expertise, Kyiv would receive missile interceptors, financial assistance, and most importantly, supplies of oil and diesel.

“In some cases, we receive crude oil that will be delivered to refineries in Europe for processing,” said Zelenskyy. “In others, we are talking about finished products — diesel.”

Kyiv is facing a massive fuel shortage, owing to Russia’s persistent targeting of fuel depots and the danger of keeping massive quantities of fuel in a country under attack.

Ukrainian gas prices have likewise skyrocketed, while the government has admitted it relies on foreign suppliers for about 85 percent of its fuel stocks. POLITICO previously reported how Ukrainian soldiers were rationing diesel — used to power heavier war machines, like tanks and other armored vehicles on the front lines.

Zelenskyy added he had secured enough fuel for the next year and that similar agreements were in the works with Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain.