Ukraine worries about ‘losing the Americans’ as global attention shifts to the war in the Middle East
A Russian drone is shot down by Ukrainian air defences during a night strike on Kyiv on June 17
By Tim Lister, Victoria Butenko, CNN
(CNN) — Ukraine does not “want to lose the Americans” while they are “without question, currently more focused on the Middle East,” President Volodymyr Zelensky has said.
There is growing apprehension in Kyiv that the conflict in the Middle East will divert attention, and weapons, from the war that has engulfed Ukraine for the past four years.
“We would very much not like the United States to step away from the issue of Ukraine because of the Middle East,” Zelensky said
In wide-ranging remarks released on Sunday, the Ukrainian leader expressed concern that there could be “delays in delivering certain weapons or reductions in the volume of critical defensive supplies for us,” because of the volume of munitions being used by the US in its strikes on Iran.
“The risk is very high, in my view,” he added.
Zelensky also provided details about Ukrainian drone experts assisting Gulf countries facing Iranian attacks. He said that three large teams, led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, were in the region offering advice on countering Iranian drone attacks.
“The Americans reached out to us several times. There were several requests – either for assistance to a particular country or for support for Americans,” Zelensky added. “For now, we are providing guidance and consultations to help protect civilians and bases.”
In an interview with CNN’s Fareed Zakaria Sunday, Zelensky said Russia had been providing Iran with drones, which it manufactures under license.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has previously declined to comment when asked about reports, including from CNN, that Russia is providing Iran with intelligence about the locations and movements of American troops, ships and aircraft.
Ukraine has developed a variety of defenses against the thousands of Iranian-designed drones used in Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure.
In the remarks released on Sunday, Zelensky also said that Ukraine was ready to share the drone technology and electronic warfare systems it had developed with the US.
”As you can see in the Middle East, even if you have a sufficient number of missiles – anti-ballistic missiles – that is not enough. What you need is a protection system.”
Zelensky said he had spoken with President Donald Trump several times about the initiative, which could involve dozens of US and Ukrainian companies inventing interceptors, half of which would be used by Ukraine and the other half by partners.
“But so far, let’s say, we have not received a clear response.”
As the war in the Middle East continues, Ukraine is looking to other partners to bolster its air defenses, Zelensky said.
“SAMP/T is currently the only alternative in Europe,” Zelensky said, referring to the Franco-Italian surface‑to‑air missile system.
“This year, we will see whether the new SAMP/T systems can intercept ballistic missiles. If it works, it will provide long-term, valuable support.”
Zelensky also restated his opposition to the lifting of some US sanctions on Russian oil exports in an effort to increase the amount of oil reaching global markets.
The Trump administration on Thursday announced it would allow countries to temporarily purchase certain Russian oil products.
“I believe that lifting sanctions on Russia will not help the world; it will only help Russia,” Zelensky said, as it will allow Moscow to plug a ballooning deficit. “In just these 14–15 days, they earned roughly $10 billion,” he claimed.
Ukraine would continue attacking Russian energy infrastructure, Zelensky said, and was talking with French President Emmanuel Macron and others “about halting and confiscating Russian oil.”
The Russians “certainly have no intention of stopping the war,” he said, before adding that their spring campaign on the battlefield had “already failed.”
“They cannot break through anywhere with equipment – we are burning it.”
Analysts say that last month – for the first time since the summer of 2024 – Ukrainian forces gained more territory than they lost, taking several hundred square kilometers on the southern front.
Zelensky said that the Russians “have no large-scale operation, although in different parts of the front they continue trying to act through infiltration tactics and constant assaults.”
He added that Moscow’s plan is to mobilize 400,000 personnel a year, but that “our plan is that at least 400,000 of them be eliminated per year.”
As neighboring Hungary enters the final month of a bitter election campaign, Zelensky said Ukraine would work with any Hungarian leader “provided this person is not an ally of Putin, specifically the aggressor state.”
Current Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has a close relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin and has frequently sought to block the European Union’s assistance to Ukraine and sanctions against Russia.
“They are just constantly looking for reasons to block something and to support Russia a little,” Zelensky said of the current Hungarian government, which he claimed was receiving help from Russian propagandists in the current election campaign.
The-CNN-Wire
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