Iran’s strikes are depleting air defense stocks that Ukraine desperately needs, said EU’s top diplomat.
The crisis in the Middle East could undermine Ukraine’s ability to resist Russian aggression, the EU’s top diplomat warned Thursday.
High Representative Kaja Kallas told reporters as she headed into a virtual summit of EU foreign ministers and their counterparts in the Gulf that the Iran conflict had a “clear impact on the war in Ukraine,” namely by depleting global stockpiles of air defense capabilities, such as drone interceptors.
“There [are] defense capabilities that are needed in Ukraine now moving also to the Middle East,” Kallas said. “There’s also the issue of supply chains … the capabilities that Ukraine needs, now also the Middle East needs when it comes to air defense.”
Iran has been attacking its neighbors with drones and missiles in retaliation against U.S.-Israeli strikes on the country. Gulf states such as the United Arab Emirates have been burning through their air defense stocks in a bid to repel the bombardment.
Kallas also warned that rising oil prices because of the war could benefit Moscow. “When the oil price goes up, it actually benefits Russia to fund its war,” she said. Global oil prices have surged to their highest level since July last year following the Washington-led strikes on Tehran.
“And that’s why we have to really push through the maritime services ban [so] we can really curtail the shadow fleet, then the oil revenues that Russia has to fund this war,” Kallas added, referring to the EU’s proposed ban on any services that support Russia’s seaborne crude oil exports, part of its yet-to-be-approved 20th sanctions package.
Ukraine could use its expertise in fending off Russian drones and missiles to help the Gulf countries “fight back” against Iran, Kallas suggested.
“We see the same drones that are attacking Kyiv every day are attacking the Middle East,” she said. “Ukraine can help the Gulf countries because they have developed drone interceptors and drone protection.”
That issue will come up at Thursday’s virtual meeting with Gulf foreign ministers, she added.