President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Kyiv has received a request from the United States for expert support from the Ukrainian military in two areas of the Middle East. He also said that there are similar requests from Europeans that are currently being processed.
He announced this following a report by the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, Rustem Umerov, who held a series of meetings and negotiations in the Middle East and Gulf countries.
“Our teams are already working with five states to counter the “shaheeds” – expert assessments have been provided, we are helping to build a defense system. There are additional requests from other states. There are also requests from the American side for expert support for their military in two areas in the region,” the head of state said.
Zelensky noted that Ukraine is also processing relevant requests from European partners whose military personnel are based in the Middle East.
“Ukraine is interested in the fastest and most reliable stabilization around Iran – this is of global importance in terms of the state of the oil and gas markets, and therefore the price situation, in particular in Europe and Ukraine. Our principled position is the inadmissibility of any success of the terrorist activity of the Iranian regime, which is a long-time ally of Russia,” he noted.
In addition, Zelensky and Umerov also discussed opportunities for international cooperation to restore security in the Strait of Hormuz.
The President instructed the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council to involve the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry and the military to assess existing international initiatives regarding the strait and the real willingness of other states to participate in “stabilization missions.”
“I expect specific results of the assessment in the near future. It is important that Ukraine's global importance in ensuring security and the quality of Ukrainian security expertise for protecting life are recognized by all partners,” Zelenskyy added.
On March 17, the head of state said that 201 Ukrainian military experts are in the Middle East, and another 34 are ready to be sent to the Gulf region.
Previously, US President Donald Trump criticized the Ukrainian leader, urging him to make a deal with Russia, and also rejected Kyiv's offer to help intercept Iranian drones.
In turn, Zelensky stated that almost a year ago, Ukraine proposed to the US to conclude a large-scale agreement on drones and the export of Ukrainian security technologies, which could involve cooperation worth about $35-50 billion.