Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine must recognize that "we are not a priority" as the US global priorities are changing to wars in the Middle East. He expressed concern that the ongoing war between the United States and Israel against Iran could further weaken Washington's support for Ukraine.
He said this in an interview with the Associated Press.
"We have to recognize that we are not the priority for today. That’s why I am afraid a long (Iran) war will give us less support," Zelenskyy said.
Zelenskyy said that Ukraine remains in touch with US negotiators on a possible agreement to end the war and continues to insist on more reliable security guarantees. But, according to him, even these discussions indicate a general loss of focus.
The President of Ukraine added that the most acute problem is the Patriot system, as Ukraine still does not have an effective alternative. He noted that these American systems were not delivered in sufficient quantities from the very beginning, and if the war in Iran does not end soon, "the package — which is not very big for us — I think will be smaller and smaller day by day."
"That’s why, of course, we are afraid," he said.
Zelenskyy also noted that russia is benefiting economically from the war in the Middle East, citing the limited easing of US sanctions on russian oil.
"Russia gets additional money because of this, so yes, they have benefits," he said.
Russia could reap windfall profits from a surge in oil prices and a temporary US exemption from sanctions on russian oil designed to ease supply shortages amid the ongoing war in Iran. In response, Ukraine has stepped up long-range drone strikes on russian oil facilities.
Meanwhile, Ukraine has offered to share Ukraine's battlefield experience with the United States and its allies to develop effective measures to counter Iranian attacks. In particular, Zelenskyy said that the country is ready to share its experience and technologies, including interceptor and maritime drones, with the Arab countries of the Persian Gulf.
In return, these countries could help Ukraine "with anti-missile systems," Zelenskyy said.
In late March, as the war with Iran escalated, Zelenskyy visited Arab Gulf states to talk about Ukraine's experience in countering Iranian Shahed drones, leading to new defense cooperation agreements.
Zelenskyy also positioned Ukraine as a potential partner in protecting global trade routes, offering assistance in restoring the passability of the Strait of Hormuz by sharing Ukraine's experience in ensuring the security of maritime corridors in the Black Sea.
Zelenskyy also was in Istanbul for talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a day after the Turkish leader spoke with russian president vladimir putin.
The President of Ukraine noted that they discussed peace talks and a possible meeting of the leaders in Istanbul. He also added that new defense agreements may soon be signed between the two countries.
The newspaper noted that every year, with the onset of warmth, russia intensifies its war, but it has failed to capture Ukrainian cities and has made only minor progress in rural areas. Russia occupies about 20 percent of Ukraine's territory, including the Crimean peninsula, which it seized in 2014.
Zelenskyy emphasizes that he has insisted and will continue to insist that a territorial compromise and land give-up will not be on Ukraine's agenda.
As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, The Washington Post reported that the US Department of Defense is considering the possibility of redirecting weapons, intended for Ukraine to the Middle East, as the war in Iran depletes some of the US military's most important munitions.
However, Trump said that the United States has large stockpiles of ammunition, including in other countries, and sometimes they take them from one place and use them for other places, thus commenting on reports that the Pentagon is considering redirecting weapons intended for Ukraine to the Middle East.
Who we are: About us, Contacts. How we write news and our principles: Editorial code. We did our best. If you found this valuable – please support us.
To request a correction, please send an email.