U.s. And Mideast Countries Seek Kyiv's Drone Expertise As Russia-ukraine Talks Put On Ice

KYIV, Ukraine — The United States and its friends successful nan Middle East are seeking Ukraine’s expertise successful countering Iran’s Shahed drones, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Various countries, including nan United States, person approached Ukraine for thief successful defending against nan Iranian drones, Zelensky said precocious Wednesday. He said he has spoken successful caller days pinch nan leaders of nan United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait astir imaginable cooperation.

Russia has fired tens of thousands of Shaheds astatine Ukraine since it invaded its neighbour conscionable complete 4 years ago, launching a swarm of much than 800 drones and decoys successful its biggest nighttime barrage. Iran has responded to associated U.S.-Israeli strikes by launching nan aforesaid type of drones astatine countries successful nan Middle East.

Ukrainian assistance successful countering Iranian drones will beryllium provided only if it does not weaken Ukraine’s ain defenses, and if it adds leverage to Kyiv’s negotiated efforts to extremity nan Russian invasion, according to nan Ukrainian leader.

“We thief to take sides from warfare those who thief us, Ukraine, bring a conscionable extremity to nan war” pinch Russia, Zelensky said.

Ukraine has battle-tested drone defenses

Ukraine has pioneered nan improvement of cut-price drone killers that costs arsenic small arsenic $1,000, rewriting nan aerial defense norm book and making different countries return notice.

European countries sewage a wake-up telephone past September connected nan changed quality of aerial defense erstwhile Poland scrambled multimillion-dollar subject assets, including F-35 and F-16 combatant jets and Black Hawk helicopters, successful consequence to airspace violations by inexpensive drones.

Ukrainian manufacturers person developed low-cost interceptor drones specifically designed to hunt and destruct Shaheds, and its quickly expanding drone manufacture is producing excess capacity.

Zelensky announced earlier this twelvemonth that Ukraine would statesman exporting nan battle-tested systems.

The European Union’s apical diplomat, Kaja Kallas, said earlier chairing a gathering of EU and Gulf overseas ministers via video nexus Thursday that nan talks would look astatine really Ukraine’s acquisition tin thief countries antagonistic Iranian drones.

Middle East warfare delays Russia-Ukraine talks

The Iran war, now successful its sixth day, has drawn world attraction distant from Europe’s biggest conflict since World War II, and forced nan postponement of a caller information of U. S-brokered talks betwixt Russia and Ukraine planned for this week, Zelensky said.

Western governments and analysts opportunity nan Russia-Ukraine warfare has killed hundreds of thousands of people, while location is nary motion that yearlong U.S.-led bid efforts will extremity nan fighting immoderate clip soon.

“Right now, because of nan business astir Iran, location are not yet nan basal signals for a trilateral meeting,” Zelensky said. “But arsenic soon arsenic nan information business and nan wide governmental discourse let america to resume that trilateral negotiated work, it will beryllium done.”

Zelensky thanked nan United States for nan return from Russia connected Thursday of 200 Ukrainian prisoners of war. Russia’s Defense Ministry besides said it received nan aforesaid number of prisoners from Ukraine and thanked nan U.S. and United Arab Emirates for mediating.

Prisoner swaps person been 1 of nan fewer tangible results of nan talks. Vladimir Medinsky, a Russian negotiator, said connected societal media that a full of 500 prisoners from each broadside would beryllium exchanged betwixt Thursday and Friday.

Oleksandr Merezhko, nan caput of Ukraine’s parliamentary overseas affairs committee, said Russian President Vladimir Putin is trying to resistance retired nan negotiations truthful that he tin property connected pinch Russia’s penetration while escaping further U.S. sanctions.

He urged nan U.S. management to look astatine nan Russia-Ukraine warfare and nan warfare successful nan Middle East arsenic linked.

“In reality, Russia and Iran are adjacent friends that enactment successful performance — Iran supplies weapons and Russia helps Iran create its defense industry. These are interconnected conflicts,” Merezhko told nan Associated Press.

Ukraine’s service has precocious pushed backmost Russian forces astatine immoderate points on nan astir 750-mile beforehand line, according to nan Institute for nan Study of War.

Localized Ukrainian counterattacks liberated much territory than Ukrainian forces mislaid successful nan past 2 weeks of February, nan Washington-based deliberation vessel said this week, estimating nan recovered onshore astatine astir 100 quadrate miles since Jan. 1.

Novikov and Arhirova constitute for nan Associated Press. AP writer Lorne Cook successful Brussels contributed to this report.