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Ukraine has sent interceptor drones and a team of drone experts to protect U.S. military bases in Jordan as the war in Iran expands beyond its territory, The New York Times reports.
The NYT, citing President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, reported this.
According to President Zelenskyy, the United States requested assistance on March 5, and the Ukrainian team departed the following day, meaning it was expected to arrive in the Middle East shortly.
“We responded immediately. I said: yes, of course, we will send our experts,” Zelenskyy said.
The publication notes that the White House did not respond to questions about whether the U.S. had requested assistance from Ukraine.
The New York Times emphasizes that the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran risks diverting global attention from the war in Ukraine, but at the same time it has given Kyiv an opportunity to apply its hard-won experience and advanced technologies on a new front.
“Ukraine has eagerly offered to help American troops and their allies in the Middle East defend against Iranian strike drones, which Russia has been using in Ukraine for years. Kyiv hopes to gain leverage with the United States in peace negotiations led by American mediators,” the newspaper writes.
Zelenskyy stated that he wants to help Middle Eastern countries but must also balance these requests with Ukraine’s needs, as Russia has been waging war against Ukraine for five years.
The war in Iran could disrupt supplies of defensive weapons that Ukraine urgently needs. Kyiv has proposed exchanging its interceptor drones to help protect Middle Eastern countries in return for more powerful systems that Ukraine needs to counter Russian ballistic missiles.
Ukraine has also said it would provide assistance to Middle Eastern countries in exchange for diplomatic support in achieving a ceasefire with Russia, as, according to Zelenskyy, some Middle Eastern states have “very strong relations with Russia.”
“That’s why I said: ‘Listen, maybe they can talk to the Russians, and the Russians will pause. In that case, of course, we can help Middle Eastern countries protect themselves,’” Zelenskyy said.
The NYT stresses that currently no one knows more about combating Iranian strike drones than Ukraine.
According to Zelenskyy and European Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius, during the first few days of the war with Iran last week, Middle Eastern countries launched more than 800 Patriot missiles. This barrage was used to counter more than 2,000 Iranian kamikaze drones and more than 500 ballistic missiles.
Zelenskyy’s adviser Dmytro Lytvyn stated that over the entire four years of Russia’s war against Ukraine, Kyiv has received only about 600 modern Patriot missiles.
Read also: “The West must exploit Russia’s vulnerabilities” – Interview with Ted Kronmiller
