Kyiv, March 17 (ANI) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv is unfazed by recent warnings from Tehran about Ukraine’s support for Gulf countries. In an interview with i24NEWS and the Jerusalem Post, he called the rhetoric familiar: “This is nothing new. I have heard many different messages over the last four years.”
Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s involvement in the Middle East is defensive and limited to sharing air-defence expertise. “The United States and leaders of Middle Eastern countries asked for help with drone interceptors,” he said, adding that air defence “is not about offensive capabilities.” He stressed Kyiv is not engaged in operations against Iran and “we are not at war with Iran.”
Kyiv has dispatched specialist teams to the region to assess and demonstrate drone-defence systems. Zelenskyy told reporters, as reported by Al Jazeera, that three teams were sent to locations including Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and a US base in Jordan to help neutralise Iranian drones targeting countries hosting US forces.
In return for sending personnel, Ukraine seeks financial compensation and technological partnerships. Zelenskyy said both technology and funding are important for Kyiv and indicated he had sought a larger agreement with Washington — saying he wished to sign a deal “worth about $35bn-50bn” — though US officials, including former President Donald Trump, have said US interests do not require Ukrainian assistance for countering Iranian drone threats.
Zelenskyy also warned the Middle Eastern crisis could affect deliveries of air-defence missiles to Ukraine and urged continued US support. He lamented attempts by some foreign governments or companies to bypass Ukrainian state procurement channels and called for stricter rules to prevent private intermediaries from undermining state control over sales of sensitive equipment.
Ukraine’s extensive experience countering Iranian-made Shahed-136 “suicide” drones used by Russia during its war against Ukraine has informed its low-cost interceptor, jamming and anti-aircraft methods, making Kyiv a sought-after partner on drone-defence issues. (ANI)
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