Ukraine is using its drone expertise to help 5 countries against Iran attacks, Zelenskyy says

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KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian officials are helping five countries in the Middle East and Gulf region counter attacks on their territory by Iranian drones, while the United States and European countries are among others who have requested support, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday.

Ukraine is also looking into whether it can have a role in restoring security in the Strait of Hormuz amid the Iran war, he said.

Ukraine has become one of the world’s leading producers of cutting-edge, battle-tested drone interceptors that are cheap and effective. They play a key part in its defense against Russia’s more than 4-year-old full-scale invasion.

“Our teams are already working with five countries on countering (Iran's) ‘Shahed’ drones — we have provided expert assessments and are helping build a defense system,” Zelenskyy said on X.

Zelenskyy has previously said he hoped to provide expertise to Arab Gulf countries targeted by Iranian Shahed drones, versions of which are heavily used by Moscow’s invading forces, in exchange for advanced air defense missiles that Ukraine needs to counter devastating Russian aerial attacks. Kyiv fears it will get fewer of the sophisticated missiles it needs to fend off the Russian strikes as the Iran war burns through stockpiles.

Rustem Umerov, the head of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council who led a delegation to the Middle East and Gulf this week, said that Ukraine has deployed interceptor units there to help protect civilian and critical infrastructure and is working to expand that protection.

He said on the Telegram messaging app that Ukrainian military specialists are operating in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and Jordan.

Ukraine is assessing further steps for long-term security cooperation with each of those countries, Umerov said.

The U.S. has asked for expert support for their military personnel in two areas of the region, Zelenskyy said, adding that Kyiv is also reviewing requests from European partners whose forces are based in the region.

The relationship between Washington and Kyiv on drone cooperation has been unclear.

Zelenskyy said last week that Ukraine was awaiting White House approval for an agreement on drone production. But a day later Trump spurned Ukraine’s offer of assistance, telling the “Brian Kilmeade Show” on Fox News Radio: “No, we don’t need their help on drone defense.”

Zelenskyy said late Thursday he has sent an official delegation to the United States in a bid to move forward suspended U.S.-brokered talks on ending Russia's invasion.

The trilateral talks, which have yet to produce any breakthrough on key issues, have been on ice while the Iran war has dominated international attention.

The White House did not confirm any meeting with the Ukrainian delegation.

A senior Kremlin official indicated Friday that a new round of U.S.-mediated negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv will likely take place soon.

“The pause is temporary, we hope it’s temporary regarding the continuation of the trilateral format,” he said.

Western European officials have over the past year repeatedly accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of dragging his feet in negotiations while he tries to press his bigger army’s battlefield initiative and capture more Ukrainian land. Russian forces hold nearly 20% of Ukraine.

The latest conflict in the Middle East that began Feb. 28 with Israeli and U.S. strikes on Iran has diverted international attention from Ukraine’s plight.

At the same time, Russia is getting a financial windfall from a temporary U.S. waiver on oil sanctions while Ukraine is desperately short of cash and still waiting for a 90-billion-euro ($103 billion) loan promised by the European Union.

Putin is widely expected to launch new offensives as the weather in Ukraine improves, piling further pressure on Kyiv.

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Associated Press writer Michelle Price in Washington contributed to this report.

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Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine