Four Years of War Gave Ukraine Unique Skills — Now Zelensky Wants to Trade Them for Peace

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has offered to assist Middle Eastern countries in countering Iranian drone attacks by deploying Ukraine’s drone interception specialists, but the proposal comes with a condition linked to the ongoing war with Russia. The Ukrainian president suggested that regional leaders persuade Vladimir Putin to agree to a temporary ceasefire in the conflict in Ukraine, after which Kyiv would be willing to send its experts to help defend cities in the Middle East from aerial threats. The proposal reflects Ukraine’s growing experience in air defence after years of defending against drone and missile strikes during Russia’s full-scale invasion.

Speaking in an interview with Bloomberg News from Kyiv, Zelenskyy said countries in the Middle East maintain relatively strong diplomatic and economic relations with Moscow and could potentially influence Russia to accept a short truce. He proposed that Gulf leaders request a one-month ceasefire in the war, though he added that even a shorter pause of two weeks or a longer truce of two months could be sufficient for Ukraine to send specialists abroad. According to Zelenskyy, such a pause would allow Ukraine to temporarily redeploy trained personnel to assist countries currently facing drone attacks.

Ukraine has developed significant expertise in counter-drone warfare during the four years of Russia’s large-scale invasion, which has seen repeated attacks using Iranian-designed Shahed drones. Kyiv’s defence forces have built sophisticated interception tactics and technologies to counter these threats, including mobile air defence units and specialised drone-hunting teams. Zelenskyy argued that this operational experience could be valuable to countries that are now encountering similar drone tactics in the Middle East.

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The Ukrainian leader’s remarks came after a wave of drone and missile attacks targeted cities across the region over the weekend, including strikes near Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. The attacks were reported as part of a broader escalation following military strikes by the United States and Israel that killed senior Iranian leaders, including Ali Khamenei. The retaliatory attacks have heightened tensions across the region and raised concerns about the vulnerability of civilian infrastructure to drone warfare.

Zelenskyy suggested that countries such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates could play a role in mediating with Russia, noting their established economic ties with Moscow. He added that Ukraine would also be prepared to extend similar technical support to Israel if conditions allowed. The proposal highlights Kyiv’s attempt to leverage its military expertise as both a diplomatic and strategic tool amid ongoing international tensions.

However, the chances of such an arrangement remain uncertain. Russia has repeatedly rejected calls for a ceasefire in the Ukraine conflict, including proposals from the United States during previous diplomatic efforts. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow remains in contact with several Gulf governments affected by the latest attacks as well as with Iranian leadership. With diplomatic negotiations still fragile and military tensions high, Zelenskyy’s proposal appears to be a long-shot attempt to link regional security concerns with progress toward a temporary pause in the war.

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