While Ukraine is engaged in significant new defense partnerships with US and Middle Eastern allies, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has made clear that diplomacy with Russia remains his country’s primary goal. He expressed urgency about resuming the US-brokered peace talks that have been postponed due to the escalating conflict in the Middle East, warning that delays benefit Russia more than Ukraine.
Zelenskyy confirmed that planned trilateral negotiations were put on hold because of the Iran situation, noting that the necessary diplomatic signals for a meeting were not yet present. He expressed frustration with the delay, particularly given Ukrainian officials’ warnings that Russia is attempting to exploit global distraction to press on with its invasion while avoiding further sanctions.
At the same time, Zelenskyy is not waiting passively for talks to resume. He confirmed that Ukraine would provide drone defense assistance to the US and several Gulf states following a series of diplomatic conversations with their leaders and a formal US request. Each partnership, he noted, also advances Ukraine’s diplomatic position by building a coalition of nations invested in its security.
Ukraine’s ability to contribute to these partnerships rests on its genuine capabilities. Engineers have developed Shahed interceptors costing as little as $1,000 per unit through four years of combat experience, and production now exceeds battlefield requirements. The surplus is being converted into diplomatic capital through defense cooperation with nations that are now facing the same Iranian drone threat.
Zelenskyy was cautiously optimistic about the eventual resumption of peace talks. He pointed to recent Ukrainian frontline gains as evidence of continued military strength, and argued that the expanding network of defense partnerships being built through drone cooperation will strengthen Ukraine’s negotiating position when diplomatic momentum is eventually restored. The path to peace, he suggested, runs through strength — and Ukraine is building that strength on multiple fronts.