Zelenskyy: Gulf states will supply Ukraine with fuel in exchange for protection against Iranian drones
Zelenskyy told journalists this, and Bloomberg published the key details of his remarks.
Zelenskyy says that the new agreement with the Gulf states grew not merely out of diplomacy, but from Ukraine’s combat experience. According to him, Kyiv helped these states strengthen their defences against Iranian attacks, and is now receiving a contribution to its own resilience in return. The President emphasised that this is “much more than just money”.
The most concrete aspect of this story is the energy component. According to Zelenskyy, Ukraine is set to receive direct supplies of diesel fuel and crude oil for further processing at European refineries, as well as as-yet-undetailed financial agreements to protect the energy sector, which is under constant attack from Russia. For a country once again entering a season of risks for its energy sector, this looks not like abstract support, but like a practical resource.
The President also stated that Ukrainian forces have already demonstrated the effectiveness of interceptor drones against Iranian Shaheds in “several” countries. According to him, Ukraine has already concluded 10-year security agreements to protect key facilities in three countries in the region, and negotiations are still ongoing with Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain. At the same time, Bloomberg noted separately that the editorial team was unable to independently verify these claims.
Another important detail from Zelenskyy’s statements concerns air defence. The President reported that in recent days Ukraine had received a new batch of Patriot missiles, which are critical for intercepting Russian hypersonic missiles. He did not name the supplier. Against the backdrop of difficult negotiations with partners, this sounds like a signal that Kyiv is simultaneously trying to address several vulnerable areas at once – both in the energy sector and in air defence.
A separate section of his remarks concerned the war and negotiations. Zelenskyy said he expects further diplomatic and political pressure on Ukraine this summer. He also believes that the US will not allow endless time for dialogue, as by summer the American leadership will begin to look more towards the congressional elections and will face its own domestic political deadline regarding attempts to break the deadlock in the war.
According to the president, Russia continues to insist on Ukraine’s complete withdrawal from the part of Donetsk Oblast that Kyiv still controls. Zelenskyy also stated that Moscow wants to create a “buffer zone” in Chernihiv and Sumy Oblasts, but its goal of fully capturing Donetsk Oblast by the end of April, according to Ukrainian intelligence assessments, is unrealistic. Bloomberg notes separately that the editorial team was unable to verify these assessments independently.
In addition, Zelenskyy announced that he wishes to organise a long-planned visit to Kyiv by US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Donald Trump’s son-in-law, to discuss security guarantees. At the same time, he acknowledged that it is not yet clear whether this particular visit will take place, or whether the negotiating teams will meet in another country.
As a reminder, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that Ukrainian specialists in several Middle Eastern countries have demonstrated how Ukrainian anti-aircraft interceptors shoot down Iranian ‘Shahed’-type attack drones.
