The Iran war has strengthened Ukraine in surprising ways. Could a ceasefire with Russia be closer?
The ongoing conflict involving Iran has unexpectedly benefited Ukraine by creating opportunities for military and diplomatic partnerships with Gulf states facing similar drone threats. President Volodymyr Zelensky has leveraged Ukraine's battlefield experience in drone warfare to secure defence cooperation agreements with Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar. While the Iran war initially risked diverting Western attention and boosting Russian oil revenues, Ukraine has turned the situation to its advantage amid hopes for future peace talks with Russia.
- ▪Ukraine has signed deals with Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar to share drone expertise and technology.
- ▪Russia has benefited economically from increased oil sales due to disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz caused by the Iran conflict.
- ▪Zelensky secured a $8.6bn defence agreement with Norway and a $4.7bn deal with Germany for drones, missiles, and defence systems.
- ▪Iranian-designed Shahed drones used by Russia cost significantly less than traditional air defence systems, but Ukraine claims they can be intercepted for as little as $10,000.
- ▪The US has faced constraints in supplying weapons to Ukraine due to increased military demands in the Middle East.
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The Iran war has strengthened Ukraine in surprising ways. Could a ceasefire with Russia be closer?43 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleKatya AdlerEurope editorBBCWhen Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, serious-faced and clad in black, strolled down a lilac carpet in Saudi Arabia in March, it marked a moment in the US-Israeli war in Iran. A rather unexpected one.In a post on X, he said his visit was to "strengthen the protection of lives".Zelensky, who carries the weight of Ukraine's own war with Russia on his shoulders, has been seizing the moment, flying to the Gulf to publicly showcase the international value and marketability of Kyiv's learned-on-the-battlefield military nous in drone warfare.Ukraine says it has now signed deals with Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar -…
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