Ukraine sends drones, experts to help protect US bases in Jordan – Zelensky

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said this in an interview with The New York Times, Ukrinform reports.

According to him, the United States made the request for help on Thursday, March 5, and the Ukrainian team left for the Middle East the next day.

"We reacted immediately. I said, yes, of course, we will send our experts," Zelensky said.

He stressed that Ukraine wants to help Middle Eastern countries but must balance such requests with its own defense needs. Zelensky said that in the first days after the United States and Israel launched their operation against Iran, he and his team received calls from the leaders of Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia requesting assistance.

The president also said that another group of Ukrainian experts will travel to the Middle East to help countries assess ways to defend against Iranian drones without relying on expensive Patriot interceptors.

On March 5, Zelensky said that Ukraine was ready to share interceptor drones with its partners in the Middle East in exchange for Patriot missiles.