By Max Hunder and Yuliia Dysa
KYIV, March 15 (Reuters) – Ukraine wants money and technology in return for helping Middle Eastern nations that have sought its expertise as they defend against Iranian kamikaze drones, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said, after Kyiv sent specialists to the region.
Zelenskiy told reporters that three teams were sent to the Middle East to conduct expert assessments and demonstrate how drone defences should operate. Earlier this week he said teams were sent to Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, as well as a U.S. military base in Jordan.
“This is not about being involved in operations. We are not at war with Iran,” Zelenskiy said.
He said that more fundamental, long-term drone deals could be negotiated with Gulf countries and what Ukraine will get in return for the assistance still needed to be discussed.
“For us today, both the technology and the funding are important,” Zelenskiy said.
Gulf states have expended large quantities of air-defence missiles to counter Iran’s Shahed drones. Kyiv downs Russian drones every night using an array of weaponry including cheaper,smaller drones or jamming equipment.
Zelenskiy has said that the U.S. as well as countries from Europe, the Middle East and Africa has sought help from Ukraine on how to counter these attacks.
However, U.S. President Donald Trump has said the U.S. does not need Ukraine’s help with downing drones.
Zelenskiy said that he did not know why Washington had not signed a major drone deal which Kyiv has pushed for months, and that he was unsure whether it would be agreed at all.
“I wanted to sign a deal worth about 35–50 billion dollars,” he said.
He also hit out at some Ukrainian companies and foreign governments, which he did not name, who he said had sought to do deals for anti-drone equipment without approval from Kyiv.
PEACE TALKS AFFECTED
Zelenskiy raised concerns about the effect of a protracted Middle Eastern conflict on Ukraine’s own supplies of air defence missiles.
“We would very much not like the United States to step away from the issue of Ukraine because of the Middle East,” he told reporters.
The latest round of peace talks between Moscow, Kyiv and Washington, which had been due to take place in the UAE, was postponed after U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iran triggered a war in the region two weeks ago.
Zelenskiy said Washington had suggested meeting in the U.S. for talks next week, but that the Russian side did not want to meet there.
“Either they will change the country where we meet, or the Russians must confirm (a meeting in) the U.S.,” he said.
On the battlefield, Zelenskiy said Ukraine’s military believed a Russian spring offensive had “already failed,” as Moscow had planned for it to be fully underway already.
(Reporting by Max Hunder and Yuliia Dysa; Editing by Elaine Hardcastle)
