Rustem Umierov, Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine and head of the country's negotiating team, has traveled to the Middle East to advise allies and to discuss mutual assistance for Ukraine.
Quoting President Zelenskyy’s address on 10 March:
"Our team – including military personnel and Rustem Umierov – is now on its way to the Gulf region, where they can help protect lives and stabilise the situation.
We see the challenges that exist now due to strikes from Iran, due to this entire war, which could drag on. The Iranian regime has effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz – one of the main routes for supplying oil and gas to the global market. This is a major source of instability.”
In a separate interview on 11 March, the Ukrainian President said that Ukraine now "has cards" thanks to the Ukrainian military and the country's defence production. The United States, most notably, has turned to Ukraine’s expertise in countering Iran’s Shahed drones. Ukraine has developed significant experience in countering Iranian-made Shahed drones during Russia’s war against the country.
"It's like with this alarm, when you have missiles and when you have Shaheds, if you don't have quick steps on how to defend, you will be destroyed. So the same about this war, the same about Putin, you need to stop him quickly. Steps. This is what you need.”
Military analysts note that Iran’s use of long-range missiles and drones has placed pressure on United States and allied air defence systems, which rely on expensive interceptors. Despite a reported reduction in the scale of Iranian attacks, strikes have continued against military installations and energy infrastructure across the region. Experts say the conflict is also testing the ability of advanced militaries to respond to sustained missile and drone campaigns.
Source: commonspace.eu with Ukrainska Pravda and Bloomberg
