A Ukrainian delegation is heading to the United States as diplomatic efforts to end the war gradually resume, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Zelenskyy stated there has been a pause in the talks, and it is time to resume them. Multiple reports indicate the ongoing US-Israel strikes and resulting escalation in the Middle East have effectively stalled Ukraine's diplomatic process.
This diplomatic push unfolds against a backdrop of shifting economic pressure on Russia. Multiple reports indicate the US has relaxed some sanctions due to rising energy prices and disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. This easing, according to those reports, gives Moscow less incentive to agree to painfully negotiated compromises.
Zelenskyy has warned that the easing of sanctions brings significant money into Putin's war budget. European unity on sanctions is also facing significant hurdles. Multiple reports state many EU leaders have criticized US President Donald Trump’s decision to lift sanctions on Russian oil, arguing it is helping to fuel the war effort against Ukraine.
Furthermore, EU leaders have struggled to agree on introducing new sanctions. Zelenskyy has emphasized that Russia must also lose economically – and this is what sanctions are for. A specific point of contention is the EU's 20th package of sanctions against Russia, which multiple reports say remains stalled due to a dispute between Hungary and Slovakia with Kyiv over the Druzhba pipeline.
From Ukraine's perspective, these stalled measures represent a missed strategic opportunity. Zelenskyy has argued the stalled sanctions could have continued the pressure on Russia to move toward real peace. He has also highlighted that Budapest is blocking the EU's €90 billion loan to Ukraine, which multiple reports identify as a critical resource to protect lives.
There is a surge in interest in Ukrainian drone interceptors, which can intercept Shahed drones for a very low cost.
Zelenskyy has expressed hope that Europe will find a way out of the difficult situation, especially regarding the destabilization of European support for Ukraine. He has framed the core strategic imperative by stating Ukraine has made sure that during this war, Russia doesn’t feel stronger, and the aggressor must weaken – which is the key to ending the war. Despite the challenges, diplomatic channels are being tested.
Zelenskyy has indicated that Washington had signaled over the past few days its willingness to resume negotiations. He has stressed the importance of the negotiating dynamic, stating it depends on all of us together to make sure the Russians do not come to these talks feeling that their position has grown much stronger, and it is not only because of the situation around Iran pushing global oil prices higher. The Kremlin, however, presents a different view.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has suggested the pause in negotiations may end once all parties have coordinated their schedules, particularly the US. Peskov also claimed that Washington is more concerned with the situation in the Middle East. That Middle Eastern situation is marked by escalating drone warfare.
Multiple reports indicate Iran launches Shahed suicide drones across the Middle East in retaliation to ongoing US-Israeli attacks. In response, countries in the region like the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Qatar spend millions on sophisticated US-made air defences to intercept these Iranian drones, according to multiple reports. This has created a new and unexpected demand for Ukraine's battlefield expertise.
The United States has turned to Ukraine for assistance in defending its assets in the Middle East against drones, multiple reports confirm. In response, President Zelensky has offered Kyiv’s air defence specialists and cheap drone interceptors, costing roughly $2,000-$5,000, and suggested Ukraine would accept missiles for Patriot systems in exchange. The economic argument is compelling; multiple reports note that using Ukrainian interceptors would save huge sums for countries currently using $4 million Patriot missiles to destroy $30,000 Iranian Shahed drones.
Interceptors need to be faster than Shahed drones, which fly 200 km/h, and find, catch, and destroy them.
Zelensky has confirmed that Ukraine received a request from the US for specific support in protection against 'shaheds' in the Middle East region and gave instructions to provide necessary means and ensure Ukrainian specialists' presence. Multiple reports view these cheaply-made interceptor drones as the most effective and cost-efficient way to defend assets in the region due to increasing drone warfare. According to The Independent - Main, a Ukrainian official described a surge in interest in Ukrainian drone interceptors, which can intercept Shahed drones for a very low cost.
Ukraine's capability stems from brutal necessity. Multiple reports state that home-grown Ukrainian munitions have transformed Kyiv’s air defence as it faces hundreds of Shahed-type drones launched by Russia every night. These Shahed drones are piloted by humans, equipped with advanced communications, and can reach high altitude and speeds around 330 km/h before striking, according to multiple reports.
According to The Independent - Main, Serhii Beskrestnov described that interceptors need to be faster than Shahed drones, which fly 200 km/h, and find, catch, and destroy them. Kyiv is actively marketing this hard-earned knowledge. Multiple reports indicate Zelensky has been in contact with the emir of Qatar and UAE president about use of Ukraine’s anti-drone technology.
Zelensky has set a clear condition for any such cooperation, stating any cooperation aimed at protecting partners can only proceed without diminishing Ukraine’s own defence capabilities. This outreach is driven by urgent needs on the home front, as Zelensky has pointed to a shortage of PAC-2 and PAC-3 interceptor missiles used by the Patriot system. Facing blocked support from the European Union, Kyiv is looking for new partnerships, according to Zelenskyy.
He has argued that as long as the risk of being blocked in Europe remains, Ukraine must seek additional opportunities to strengthen itself. Zelenskyy has identified the Middle East and the Gulf as the right direction and serious opportunities to make Ukraine stronger. Multiple reports indicate Kyiv’s team is negotiating cooperation with several countries in the region, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, and the US regarding its military bases.
Ukraine is trying to show it is an asset, including to the US and other allies, by offering to share its war experience in exchange for help and goodwill.
Zelenskyy has framed this as a mutually beneficial partnership: strengthening those who can strengthen Ukraine, offering expertise in countering Iranian Shahed-type drones. In return for this expertise, Ukraine requires corresponding support in protection against ballistic threats and financial resources for defence, Zelenskyy has stated. Multiple reports confirm that Ukrainian teams are already on the ground in some of these countries.
The need for such partnerships is underscored by the limitations of existing systems; multiple reports argue that no matter how many Patriots, THAADs, or other air defence systems are in the Middle East, that alone is not enough for fully effective air defence, and modern interceptors are needed for heavy drone strikes. Ukraine's pitch is bolstered by a proven track record. Multiple reports state Ukraine has significantly improved its record in countering drones, downing 97% of drones in Russia's most recent massive attack on Tuesday.
Most of those drones downed were Shahed-type drones used by Tehran against Gulf region countries since the beginning of the Iran war, according to multiple reports. The threat is evolving, with multiple reports noting that Tehran forces have been increasingly using FPV drones against Middle Eastern countries. These FPV drones, also known as civilian 'wedding drones', are small, cheap, disposable first-person view drones retooled for combat, popular in Russia’s war against Ukraine, multiple reports explain.
Today around 60% of the Russian army’s losses are inflicted by Ukrainian FPV drones, according to multiple reports. Zelenskyy has highlighted that FPV drone use in the Middle East and Gulf is growing, and Ukraine must be prepared for modern warfare. In response, Ukraine is scaling up production dramatically; the country’s National Security and Defence Council states that in 2026 the defence industry could produce over 8 million FPV drones per year.
This production capacity is unprecedented for any country at war and any NATO member, as the US manufactures about 100,000 military drones per year, multiple reports note. Ukrainian drone manufacturers hope to make lucrative deals to sell products in the Middle East, boosting Ukraine’s defence industry, according to multiple reports. Concrete deployments are already underway.
If Russia sends intelligence to Iran, Ukraine will send specialists and interceptors to defend bases and energy and water infrastructure.
According to research, Ukraine's president dispatched interceptor drones and operators to protect US bases in Jordan last week. Zelenskyy said in an interview that Ukraine dispatched help in response to a US request for defending Jordan. The scale of international interest is significant.
Zelenskyy posted on social media that there are 11 requests from countries neighboring Iran, European states, and the US for help from Ukraine. He also posted that some of the 11 requests have been met with concrete decisions and specific support. Research indicates that help for Jordan was requested on Thursday, and a Ukrainian team departed the next day.
This assistance may be urgently needed, as satellite imagery indicates that the radar used by a US Thaad air defence system at the base in Jordan was damaged or knocked out by Iranian attacks. According to The Guardian - World, Orysia Lutsevych, a researcher at the Chatham House thinktank, described that Ukraine is trying to show it is an asset, including to the US and other allies, by offering to share its war experience in exchange for help and goodwill. Lutsevych also described that if Russia sends intelligence to Iran, Ukraine will send specialists and interceptors to defend bases and energy and water infrastructure.
Diplomatic coordination is intensifying; over the past week, the Ukrainian president has spoken to the leaders of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and Jordan, according to research. After speaking to the Saudi crown prince, Zelenskyy said it is very important to coordinate for security both in Europe and in the Middle East. Ukraine's expertise is born from extensive direct experience.
Research shows Ukraine has faced near-nightly attacks from swarms of Shahed-136 drones since September 2024. These Shahed-136 drones were originally designed in Iran, and the technology was transferred to Russia, allowing Moscow to make them in large numbers, according to research. Tackling these drones forced Kyiv to develop low-cost air defence capabilities, with interception rates of over 85% or 90%.
Recent performance underscores this capability; on Saturday morning, Ukraine's airforce reported stopping 453 out of 480 incoming drones. The tactics have evolved significantly. Initially Ukraine relied heavily on ground-based machine gun crews plus small numbers of fighter planes to halt Shahed drones, research indicates.
In the past six months, Ukraine has begun using cheap high-speed Shahed interceptors, which are piloted from the ground. These interceptor drones include the Sting missile made by Wild Hornets, which cost $2,000 (£1,500) a unit, according to research. Their effectiveness is notable; in February, interceptor drones destroyed more than 70% of Shahed-type attack drones over Kyiv and its outskirts.
This strategy contrasts sharply with the approach in the Gulf. Research indicates that Gulf and Middle Eastern countries have been making heavy use of US-made Patriot missiles, which are far more expensive per engagement.