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| Zelenskyy |
Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said the US has eventually reached out for the protection of their military bases and installations in the middle east as Iran defensive ballistic missiles rendered Americans helpless.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy insisted that Russia is providing intelligence support for the Iran. He also emphasis that US defense system is not that effective to intercepting the ballistic missiles but that Ukraine has other interceptors that are very effective.
The request for help by United States is actually against the Donald Trump's initial position that Ukraine will be the least the US will ask for help in the ongoing war against Iran.
He also stressed on the Russian offensive and that Ukraine will respond accordingly.
According to Zelenskyy in an interview with news men, "the United States has reached out to us regarding their bases in Middle Eastern countries. We’ve also been approached by Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Jordan, and Kuwait.
We’re already working with some of them, and our expert teams are already on the ground, assessing the situation and sharing invaluable experience. Because no matter how many Patriots, THAADs, or other air defense systems are in the Middle East, that alone is not enough for fully effective air defense. There are modern interceptors designed to counter heavy drone strikes.
Now, we are discussing future deliveries of certain equipment that Ukraine has. We want Middle Eastern countries to give us the opportunity to strengthen ourselves as well. They have some air defense missiles that we lack. We would like to reach agreements on this.
Funding is the scarcest resource today. Our defense industry is currently operating at half capacity, and we need more financing to produce drones for ourselves. That’s why we are ready to sell to our partners the systems we have in surplus. And we’re not just selling – we’ll provide our expertise as well. Interceptor drones don’t work without our expertise. It’s the system that works.
A joint sanctions policy by different countries directly reduced the capabilities of the Russian Federation. For example, by lowering its revenues from energy sales. The Russians bypassed the sanctions, and we saw all of this, but one way or another, their revenues were smaller, and accordingly, less money went to the defense sector.
The budget deficit of the Russian Federation grew year by year, peaking at the start of 2026. By the end of 2025, the Russians had an $83 billion deficit, plus another $19 billion carried over into early 2026. According to our estimates, the deficit for 2026 was expected to reach around $100 billion.
Now, after the easing of sanctions on Russia’s energy sector – specifically petroleum products – their earnings are measured in billions. This certainly does not help to reduce the intensity of the fighting in Ukraine, nor in Iran, because Russia will help the Iranian regime through various means.
We do not see any genuine desire from Russia to end the war, and we share this view with our partners. The United States believes that Putin wants the war to end. Our views here are completely different.
On one hand, that’s not a problem – it’s normal for opinions to differ. But on the other hand, when we want to end the war, to accelerate this process, we raise the issue of putting pressure on Russia. We know that Putin does not want to end the war. We call for additional pressure to make him want to. But the U.S. believes he wants to end it, so why apply extra pressure if Russia is showing it is also ready for peace?
There are different perspectives on certain issues, and this is something we need to work through.
In historical terms, the Russians are losing, one hundred percent. Right now, they are suffering a terrifying number of casualties – 30,000 to 35,000 people a month. Russia cannot keep up with mobilization, contract recruitment, and certainly cannot keep up with training its troops.
Will they decide to launch a full-scale mobilization? That I cannot tell. So far, they have been afraid to take such steps and have relied only on offering large sums of money to recruits. Why do we react so sensitively to sanctions being lifted? Because it’s about money. And money isn’t just tanks. Nobody fights with tanks anymore. Money means drones. Money means people. People mean contracts. And if they don’t have the money for contracts, their strength is declining.
Providing Ukraine with a loan using frozen Russian assets was the agreed position of all EU leaders at the end of 2025. The alternative to this step is now up to the European Union.
We will be grateful if they can unblock this format. If they do not, we hope for an alternative that would allow us to access these funds. Otherwise, the Ukrainian army will be underfunded. Drone production – of long-range drones and interceptors – will also be underfunded, as will air defense systems, because we allocate part of those funds to European air defense systems and to the U.S. PAC-3 missiles.
This is a risk for everyone. It is a risk to European security. I believe there will be no collapse, and the Europeans will resolve this issue
Russia continues the second phase of its winter operation with strikes against critical infrastructure. Their objectives at this stage include water supply facilities, reservoirs, dams, logistics, and so on. Russia’s plans are clear, but we are stronger now than we were in winter. We need to fight for funding. Funding will let us strengthen the protection of our skies, for sure. The technology exists. With a budget in place, Ukraine can produce two thousand interceptor drones per day.
We will respond to every Russian attack. Global pressure on Russia is decreasing. We see changes in sanctions policy. However, unlike everyone else or many others in the world, Ukraine has its own sanctions – long-range capabilities. The Russians must feel the pressure. If Ukraine does not respond to their strikes either, Russia will simply continue the war and won’t even consider a pause.
Russia is providing intelligence support to Iran. We have evidence from our intelligence agencies. Russia is doing this while saying, “We won't provide intelligence to Iran if America stops sharing intelligence with Ukraine." Isn’t this blackmail? Absolutely. Russia has been sharing intel regardless. But they are presenting it as a bargaining chip in this game. Could it prompt the U.S. to pause data sharing? Probably. It depends on the conditions in the Middle East and how this operation unfolds.
Ukrainians take negotiations seriously. We believe talks are necessary – preferably at the level of leaders – and we are ready for that. The Russians are seeking an ultimatum resolution to the military actions. They want Ukraine to accept their conditions, including the withdrawal of Ukraine’s Armed Forces from the territory we control in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
They understand – and so do we – how long it would take them to capture this territory, with losses of 28, 30, even 35 thousand soldiers per month. And it’s still not certain they would succeed in seizing it. They could end up burying 300,000 to a million of their troops there. They don’t value human life, but they understand that it's money. All of this comes down to recruitment contracts, and 300,000 to a million additional coffins for Russia. The Kremlin is not fully reading the public reaction: whether the people will accept it or not.
That’s why they are seeking this kind of dialogue with the Americans: “Tell the Ukrainians there’s nothing to fight for.” We know this Russian rhetoric very well: “There’s nothing to fight for. Just 6,000 square kilometers.” We explain to our partners, and in my view, with full justification, why this is not the case.
The Russians have whipped up pro-war sentiment internally to such an extent that if we don't stop Putin now, war will continue. He will pick some small country. He needs it. He’s boosted the war economy and radicalized the Russians. Today, 20–25% young people in Russia want to destroy Ukraine and Europe; they want to restore Soviet influence and revive the idea of destroying NATO. This will not just vanish. So he will have to choose: either face a split in the society, or take a few steps into one of the Baltic states and set down his right or left foot there. He’ll go for the second option. He will not risk himself, his life, or domestic stability.
What’s behind US’ five-day freeze on Iran strikes?
Here's what's at stake, Azerbaijani political analyst Asif Narimanly tells Sputnik:
🔸 The US is seeking to tackle the crisis in the energy market, hit by soaring oil prices amid the closure of the Strait of Hormuz
🔸 Second, it is about buying time: there is a need to replenish losses in the US missile arsenal, while also making decisions on the course of the Iran war— whether to move to a new phase or achieve the initial goals
🔸 Third, Washington wants to strengthen its position on the Iran war against opposition forces both within the US and on the international stage
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