Story perspectives

Zelensky Secures €90B EU Loan, POW Swap in Saudi Visit

4/25/2026

Summary

Story summary

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a second Saudi Arabia visit in a month to negotiate three-part security arrangement.
On April 24 in Jeddah, Zelenskyy met Prince Mohammed bin Salman, discussed security and food cooperation, and cited a March pact letting Ukraine share anti-drone expertise with Gulf states.
Zelenskyy said a €90 billion EU loan will fund weapons, air-defence and energy resilience, and that Russia and Ukraine swapped 193 prisoners of war that day.

History

Historical Context

After the Soviet Union collapsed, Ukraine surrendered roughly 17 % of its nuclear arsenal and, under the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, received security assurances from the United States, United Kingdom and Russia. Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea broke those guarantees, prompting Zelenskyy’s April 2024 talks in Jeddah with Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman to seek new external support.

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Story summary

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a second Saudi Arabia visit in a month to negotiate three-part security arrangement.
On April 24 in Jeddah, Zelenskyy met Prince Mohammed bin Salman, discussed security and food cooperation, and cited a March pact letting Ukraine share anti-drone expertise with Gulf states.
Zelenskyy said a €90 billion EU loan will fund weapons, air-defence and energy resilience, and that Russia and Ukraine swapped 193 prisoners of war that day.

1 / 2