While the Middle East is at war, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited the Gulf states this week and signed a series of cooperation agreements against the axis of evil. This step comes against the backdrop of the Ukrainian government’s repeated warnings in recent years to the Israeli government that the threat we face in Ukraine is not unique to us. It is part of a broader system: an axis of forces that destabilizes, operates through terrorism, proxy wars, and the application of military and economic pressure.
For Ukrainian citizens, this threat is expressed in a direct invasion by Russia. For Israeli citizens, it is expressed in the activities of Iran and its proxies in the region. But in essence, this is the same pattern of action, a systematic attempt to undermine international order, harm sovereign states, and impose a reality of ongoing instability.
Today, more than ever, it is clear that this threat does not stop at the borders of Ukraine or Israel. The Gulf states understand this well. They recognize that the threats are not local but regional and even global. Therefore, we are witnessing an accelerated process of building new alliances, based not only on geography but on common interests.
Growing cooperation between countries
The Ukrainian president’s diplomatic journey to the Gulf states is not a tactical move but an expression of a profound change in worldview. Countries that previously did not see themselves as part of the same camp are beginning to realize that they are facing exactly the same threats.
In Israel, too, this understanding exists and has sometimes even led to historic breakthroughs, such as the Abraham Accords. But these days, the importance of the growing cooperation between Ukraine and Israel, cooperation based on a deep understanding of common threats, is also becoming increasingly important. This cooperation must now expand beyond the two countries and become the basis for a broader partnership that also includes the Gulf states and other countries in the region.
If Israel seeks to expand the Abraham Accords to additional countries, it must demonstrate already now that it is a true partner, not only in times of stability but especially in moments of crisis. Countries under attack or facing security pressure closely observe who stands by them when they need it most. Providing diplomatic, security, or humanitarian assistance in times of distress is not only a moral gesture; it is a strategic investment in building trust and strengthening future alliances.
A campaign of shared values
The war in Ukraine and the security reality in the Middle East are not two separate arenas but part of one broad campaign. This is a campaign on shared values: sovereignty, stability, civil security, and the right of states to determine their future without external coercion.
Precisely for this reason, cooperation between Ukraine, Israel, and the Gulf states is not only desirable but necessary. There is an opportunity here to create a new axis of pragmatic states, acting together in the face of common threats. The future of the region and the entire world will be determined by the ability of states to cooperate beyond traditional borders, and to identify in real time the challenges they share.
Ukraine is already there. The Gulf states are joining in. The question is to what extent the Gulf states and other states in the Middle East will choose to take an active part in the new axis that is being built before our eyes.
The writer is the Ukrainian ambassador to Israel.