The United States and its Middle East allies are turning to Ukraine for guidance on how to counter Iran’s Shahed drones, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday.
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According to Zelensky, several countries – including the United States – have recently asked kyiv for help in defending themselves against Iranian-made drones. He added that, in recent days, he has spoken with leaders of the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait about possible cooperation.
Tehran has fired hundreds of drones at US targets in neighboring countries after the US and Israel began a massive airstrike campaign against Iran on Saturday.
During its war with Russia, Ukraine has developed highly effective means of shooting down the Iranian-designed Shahed kamikaze drone, which Moscow has been using for much of the four-year war.
“We received a request from the United States for specific support in protecting against the ‘Shaheds’ in the Middle East region,” Zelenskiy wrote in English on the X social media platform.
“I gave instructions to provide the necessary means and ensure the presence of Ukrainian specialists who can ensure the required security.”
The United States had requested help to protect its bases and soldiers in certain countries in the region, according to a source familiar with the matter, who said Zelensky had ordered his military to do so.
The Ukrainians will start working “in the next few days,” the source said.
In a phone interview with Reuters on Thursday, US President Donald Trump said he would accept help from any country when asked about Zelensky’s offer of support to help defend against Iranian drones.
Zelensky expressed concern earlier this week that the war in Iran – if it proves long and intense – could diminish the supply of weapons to Ukraine from its Western allies, particularly the air defense systems it needs to protect against Russian missiles.
In recent months, Ukraine has already experienced shortages of American-made Patriot air defense systems, which are the only effective weapon in its arsenal to shoot down Russia’s ballistic missiles.
On Tuesday, Zelensky said Ukraine would be willing to trade interceptor drones for air defense missiles from Middle Eastern allies, which have their own stockpile of Patriots.
(FRANCE 24 with AP and AFP)
