Ukraine will facilitate the US to counter Iranian drones - Zelensky

Today President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukraine is ready to provide the United States with resources to help counter Iranian Shahed drones as the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran enters its sixth day.

In a Telegram post, Zelensky said Washington had requested specific assistance in protecting against Shahed drones in the Middle East. He added that Ukraine would provide the necessary means and ensure the presence of Ukrainian specialists capable of supporting these efforts, without giving further details.

Earlier on March 5, the Financial Times reported that the Pentagon and at least one Gulf state are in talks to purchase Ukrainian-made interceptor drones designed to destroy Iranian Shaheds. Gulf countries have relied heavily on expensive Patriot missiles to counter the drones, but their stockpiles are shrinking, prompting interest in Ukraine’s cheaper interception technologies.

Since Russia began using Shahed drones against Ukraine in late 2022, Ukrainian engineers have developed mass-produced interceptor drones costing only a few thousand dollars to destroy the Iranian-designed UAVs that Russia launches in large numbers.

Russia denies accepting security guarantees for Kyiv

Today Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Moscow has neither seen nor approved any Western security guarantees for Ukraine, contradicting earlier remarks by a senior Ukrainian official.

“We proceed from the understanding that we not only did not approve these guarantees — we have not even seen them,” Lavrov said, as cited by the Russian state news agency TASS.

The statement contradicts comments by Kyrylo Budanov, a senior Ukrainian official and close ally of President Volodymyr Zelensky. On February 28, Budanov said Russia had indicated it could accept U.S.-backed security guarantees for Ukraine.

“At past negotiations, the Russian side directly said that they would accept the security guarantees offered to Ukraine by the U.S.,” Budanov said, adding that Moscow understands it may be “forced” to accept them.

Budanov’s remarks came days after U.S. and Ukrainian officials met in Geneva on February 26 as part of ongoing efforts to broker peace with Moscow. Russia did not take part in the talks. According to reports, the delegations discussed Ukraine’s postwar recovery and preparations for a future round of negotiations that would include Russia.

As diplomatic efforts continue, Kyiv has stressed that strong, binding security guarantees from its partners — particularly the United States — are essential to any peace agreement and to deterring future Russian aggression.

It remains unclear what form those guarantees could take. Moscow has previously rejected proposals related to Ukraine’s security, including membership in NATO or the deployment of European peacekeepers on Ukrainian territory, both widely viewed as the strongest deterrents against renewed attacks.

More Patriot missiles were used in the Middle East in 3 days than in Ukraine since 2022 - Zelensky

On March 5, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that more than 800 Patriot interceptor missiles were used in just the first three days of fighting in the Middle East — more than Ukraine has received during the entire Russian full-scale invasion. Zelenskyy noted that Ukraine initially used “everything it had” to defend against Iranian-made Shahed drones when Russia began deploying them in 2022, but the country has since gained significant experience in countering such attacks. He stressed that Patriot missiles remain in short supply and repeated that Ukraine is ready to exchange its interceptor drones for additional missiles.

The president also said Ukraine is willing to share its expertise with partners facing Iranian drone threats to help protect civilians and critical infrastructure. At the same time, Kyiv is concerned that the growing conflict in the Middle East could further slow down global supplies of Patriot interceptors, which are among the few systems capable of stopping ballistic missile attacks.