Zelenskyy: Ukraine seeks air defence deals with Middle Eastern partners

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that Ukraine is expanding defence cooperation with international partners, including both the United States and countries in the Middle East, amid ongoing security challenges.

Sharing excerpts from his interview with Le Monde on his Telegram account, Zelenskyy revealed that Kyiv has received outreach from Washington regarding US bases in the Middle East, as well as from regional states such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait.

“We are already working with some partners, and our expert teams are already on the ground: assessing the situation and sharing invaluable experience,” Zelenskyy said. He emphasised that existing air defence deployments in the region — including systems such as the Patriot and THAAD — are insufficient to counter large-scale drone attacks.

“Because no matter how many Patriot, THAAD and other air defence systems there are in the Middle East, this is not enough for a fully effective air defence system. There are modern interceptors that must work against dense drone attacks,” he said.

Zelenskyy added that discussions are underway regarding future deliveries of certain systems currently available in Ukraine, as well as potential reciprocal arrangements. “We want Middle Eastern countries to give us the opportunity to also strengthen our own forces. They have some air defense missiles that we lack. We would like to reach an agreement on this,” he noted.

Highlighting financial constraints, the Ukrainian president stressed that funding remains the most critical issue. “Money is the scarcest resource today. Our defence industry is currently operating at half capacity, and we need more funding to produce drones for ourselves,” he said, adding that Ukraine is prepared to sell systems in surplus while also sharing operational expertise. “And we are not only selling — we are sharing our expertise. Interceptor drones do not work without our expertise. It is the system that works.”

Zelenskyy also addressed the impact of sanctions on Russia, arguing that earlier coordinated restrictions had reduced Moscow’s revenues, particularly from energy exports, thereby limiting its defense spending.

“Now, after the easing of sanctions on Russia’s energy sector, particularly petroleum products, their revenues are measured in billions. This certainly does not help reduce the intensity of combat operations in Ukraine, or in Iran. Because Russia, through various means, will support the Iranian regime,” he said.

The Ukrainian leader maintained that Moscow is not genuinely seeking to end the war and confirmed ongoing discussions with partners about increasing pressure. He also pointed to differences in assessment with Washington, noting that while the US believes Russia may be ready for peace, Kyiv holds the opposite view.

According to Zelenskyy, Russian forces are sustaining heavy losses — up to 30,000 to 35,000 personnel per month — while facing constraints in mobilization and training. He underscored the central role of financial resources in sustaining military operations.

“Will they go for large-scale mobilization? I cannot say. So far they have avoided such steps and relied only on recruiting people for large sums of money. Why do we react so strongly to the lifting of sanctions? Because it is about money. And money is not just tanks. No one fights with tanks anymore. Money is drones. Money is people. People are contracts. And if they do not have money for contracts, their forces shrink,” he said.

Finally, Zelenskyy referred to a coordinated position within the European Union on providing Ukraine with a loan to support the production of drones and air defense systems. He expressed hope that the funding would soon be released or replaced with an alternative mechanism to prevent a financing gap for Ukraine’s military and avoid broader risks to European security.

By Tamilla Hasanova