Ukraine will help Gulf states shoot down Iran’s Shaheds — if their leaders push Putin toward a ceasefire

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy proposed trading Ukraine's drone interception expertise for Gulf states' diplomatic pressure on Russia, he told Bloomberg on 2 March. The offer came hours after Iranian Shahed drones struck targets across the Middle East over the weekend, including Dubai — the same weapons Russia has launched at Ukrainian cities for four years.

Zelenskyy pitches ceasefire-for-expertise swap

"Leaders of the Middle East have great relations with Russians," Zelenskyy told Bloomberg by phone from Kyiv. "They can ask Russians to implement a month-long ceasefire."

In return, Ukraine would deploy its top drone interceptor operators to Middle Eastern countries under Iranian attack. Zelenskyy left the timeline open, saying a truce could last "two months or two weeks" — "so we can help the Middle East countries to protect civilians.". He specifically named the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar as countries with "first of all economic" ties to Russia's president. The offer also extends to Israel: 

"We can help Israel in the same way," Zelenskyy said.

Iran's retaliation puts Shaheds over new targets

Iran launched drone and missile barrages at cities across the Middle East over the weekend. Tehran struck back after US and Israeli military operations on 28 February killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other senior officials. The UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain all came under attack from the same Shahed-type drones Ukraine has faced since 2022.

Four years of full-scale war have given Ukraine unmatched experience intercepting these weapons. Ukraine face's Russian Shahed attacks every night for years. Zelenskyy argued on 1 March that even countries with more advanced air defense systems have failed to stop every drone, calling Ukraine's expertise "largely irreplaceable."

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Gulf leverage where Western diplomacy failed — but no one has called Kyiv yet

Russia has repeatedly rejected US President Donald Trump's calls for a ceasefire in Ukraine. Washington has sought to broker a peace deal, but it remains unclear why Putin would agree to a pause now, Bloomberg speculated. Zelenskyy's gambit tries a different pressure channel — asking Gulf states to use their own economic leverage rather than relying on Trump's diplomatic efforts alone.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on 1 March that Britain would bring Ukrainian experts alongside its own specialists to help Gulf partners shoot down Iranian drones. However, Zelenskyy said on 2 March he had received no direct requests from the UK or any Middle Eastern country, and Ukraine's priority remains defending its own cities.