Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv is unmoved by recent warnings from Tehran over Ukraine’s support for Gulf states, calling the rhetoric familiar after four years of war. In interviews with i24NEWS and the Jerusalem Post, he described Iranian messages as routine and not a reason for alarm.
Zelenskyy emphasized Ukraine’s role in the Middle East is defensive and focused on sharing air-defence expertise. He said requests for help came from the United States and regional leaders seeking assistance with drone interceptors, and stressed that air defence “is not about offensive capabilities.” He repeatedly stated that Ukraine is not conducting operations against Iran and “we are not at war with Iran.”
Kyiv has sent specialist teams to assess and demonstrate drone-defence systems. Zelenskyy, as reported by Al Jazeera, said three teams were dispatched to locations including Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and a U.S. base in Jordan to help counter Iranian drones targeting countries that host U.S. forces.
In exchange for deploying personnel, Ukraine seeks financial compensation and technology partnerships. Zelenskyy said he has pressed Washington for a larger support package, mentioning a hoped-for agreement in the $35–50 billion range, although some U.S. officials — including former President Donald Trump — have indicated that U.S. interests do not require Ukrainian help to counter Iranian drone threats.
The president warned that instability in the Middle East could disrupt deliveries of air-defence missiles to Ukraine and urged continued American backing. He also criticized efforts by some foreign governments and private companies to sidestep Ukrainian state procurement channels and called for stricter rules to prevent private intermediaries from undercutting state control over sensitive equipment sales.
Ukraine’s hard-earned experience fighting Russian forces that used Iranian-made Shahed-136 “suicide” drones has driven development of low-cost interceptors, jamming techniques and anti-aircraft approaches. That record has made Kyiv a sought-after partner on drone-defence issues as countries in the region look to bolster protections against swarm and lone-drone attacks.
