“Partners turn to us, to Ukraine, for help in protecting against drones, for expertise and practical support. Requests in this matter also came from the American side,” Zelensky said in Wednesday’s video. At the same time, the USA stopped military aid to Ukraine after Donald Trump took office.
The British newspaper The Financial Times, citing sources, said that the Pentagon and at least one Persian Gulf country are interested in buying Ukrainian interceptors that Kiev developed specifically to destroy Iranian Shahid drones, which the Russians use against Ukraine under the name Geraň-2.
Zelenskyi had previously suggested that his country would supply Middle Eastern countries with Ukrainian defense systems against Iranian drones. In exchange, he wants missiles for the Patriot system, which Ukraine lacks. “We would like to ‘quietly’ get PAC-3 missiles from (Middle Eastern) countries and give them fighter drones,” he said.
“I have instructed Ukraine’s foreign minister, together with the secret services, the minister of defense, our military command and the secretary of the NSDC (National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine), to present the possibilities of assistance to the relevant countries and to provide assistance in a way that does not weaken our own defenses here in Ukraine,” the president announced on Facebook.
According to him, the Ukrainian army has the necessary skills that Ukrainian specialists will use on the spot. “We are ready to help protect lives, defend civilians and support real efforts to stabilize the situation, especially to restore safe navigation in the region,” the president added.
In the post, the Ukrainian president further wrote that he had already discussed the situation with the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Jordan or Bahrain.
“There will also be talks with Kuwait and other countries in the region. They all face a serious challenge and talk about it openly: Iranian attack drones are the same Martyrs that are attacking our cities, villages and Ukrainian infrastructure during this war,” he said.
Zelenskyi already talked about the possible deployment of Ukrainian specialists on Monday. At that time, however, he made it conditional on a truce in the war with Russia. “I would suggest this: the leaders of the Middle East have excellent relations with the Russians. They can ask them to declare a month-long truce,” said Zelensky. As it seems from his latest statement, he dropped this condition.
