Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has expressed concern that a prolonged US-Israeli war on Iran could further erode America’s support for Ukraine as Washington’s global priorities shift and Kyiv braces for reduced deliveries of critically needed Patriot air defence missiles.
Ukraine desperately needs more US-made air defence systems to help it counter Russia’s daily barrages, Zelenskiy said, speaking to The Associated Press in an exclusive interview late Saturday in Istanbul.
Russia’s relentless pounding of urban areas behind the front line following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than four years ago has killed thousands of civilians.
It has also targeted Ukraine's energy supply to disrupt the industrial production of Ukraine’s newly developed drones and missiles, while also denying civilians heat and running water in winter.
“We have to recognise that we are not the priority for today,” Zelenskiy said.
“That’s why I am afraid a long (Iran) war will give us less support.”
The latest US-brokered talks between envoys from Moscow and Kyiv ended in February with no sign of a breakthrough.
Zelenskiy, who has accused Russia of “trying to drag out negotiations” while it presses on with its invasion, said Ukraine remains in contact with US negotiators about a potential deal to end the war and has continued to press for stronger security guarantees.
But, he said, even those discussions reflect a broader loss of focus from Ukraine.
His most immediate concern, Zelenskiy said, is the Patriots — essential for intercepting Russian ballistic missiles — as Ukraine still lacks an effective alternative.
These US systems were never delivered in sufficient quantities to begin with, Zelenskiy said, and if the Iran war doesn't end soon, "the package — which is not very big for us — I think will be smaller and smaller day by day.”
“That’s why, of course, we are afraid," he said.
Zelenskiy had been counting on European partners to help make the Patriot purchases despite tight supply and limited US production capacity.
But the Iran war, now in its sixth week, has sent shock waves through the global economy and pulled in much of the wider Middle East region, further straining these already limited resources, diverting stockpiles and leaving Ukrainian cities more exposed to ballistic strikes.
For Kyiv, a key objective is to weaken Moscow’s economy and make the war prohibitively costly.
Surging oil prices driven by Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz are undermining that strategy by boosting the Kremlin’s oil revenues and strengthening Moscow’s capacity to sustain its war effort.
Zelenskiy said Russia draws economic benefits from the Mideast war, citing the limited easing of American sanctions on Russian oil.
“Russia gets additional money because of this, so yes, they have benefits," he said.
Russian officials said Sunday a fire broke out at a major oil refinery in the Nizhny Novgorod region after a drone attack, while another drone damaged a pipeline at the Russian Baltic Sea port of Primorsk, home to a major oil export terminal. No casualties were reported.
Russia could reap a windfall from a surge in oil prices and the US temporary waiver on Russian oil sanctions designed to ease supply shortages as the Iran war continues.
Russia is one of the world’s main oil exporters, and Asian nations are increasingly competing for Russian crude oil as an energy crisis mounts.
In response, Ukraine has intensified its long-range drone attacks on Russian oil facilities, which have rattled Moscow.
To keep Ukraine on the international agenda, Zelenskiy has offered to share Ukraine's hard-earned battlefield expertise with the United States and allies to develop effective counter-measures against Iranian attacks.
Ukraine has met Russia’s evolving use of Iranian-made Shahed drones with growing sophistication, technological ingenuity and at low cost.
Moscow significantly modified the original Shahed-136, rebranded as the Geran-2, enhancing its ability to evade air defences and be mass-produced.
Ukraine responded with quick innovation of its own, including low-cost interceptor drones designed to track and destroy incoming drones.
Zelenskiy said Ukraine is ready to share with Gulf Arab countries targeted by Iran its experience and technology, including interceptor drones and sea drones, which Ukraine produces — more than are used up — with funding from Americans and its European partners.
In return, these countries could help Ukraine "with anti-ballistic missiles,” Zelenskiy said.
