Zelensky Says Iran War and U.S. Sanctions Waivers Are Benefiting Russia and Threatening Ukraine Aid
In a March 30 Zoom interview with Axios, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that a prolonged U.S.–Iran war is "very good" for Russia and "very bad" for Ukraine, arguing that surging oil prices and partial U.S. sanctions waivers on Russian energy are boosting Moscow’s war economy while competing for air-defense interceptors and other weapons Kyiv needs. He said Ukraine has shared intelligence with Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Jordan indicating Russia is providing Iran with satellite imagery of U.S. and European military bases and sharing FPV-drone tactics drawn from the Ukraine battlefield, which he believes is being used to help target U.S. and allied forces. Zelensky described sending Ukrainian military experts to several Gulf states to help them integrate layered air-defense systems against Iranian drones, and said Ukrainian advice to regional leaders has been to end the war quickly through talks, even indirect ones, to limit Russia’s gains. He also voiced concern that once the Iran war ends, the Trump administration will resume pressure on Kyiv to accept territorial concessions as the price of peace, saying Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner recently met a senior Ukrainian delegation in Miami without producing progress. European and Ukrainian leaders, he added, are increasingly worried that U.S. focus on Iran and sanctions loosening are eroding pressure on Russia, tensions that surfaced in a reported heated G7 exchange between Secretary of State Marco Rubio and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas.
📌 Key Facts
- Date and source: Zelensky spoke to Axios via Zoom on March 30, 2026, after returning from a Middle East trip.
- Zelensky said Russia is profiting from higher oil prices and from U.S. moves to partially lift or waive sanctions on Russian oil to ease the energy crisis.
- He stated that Ukraine has shared evidence with Gulf partners that Russia is providing Iran with satellite imagery of U.S. and European bases and sharing FPV-drone combat experience.
- Ukrainian military experts have been deployed to several Middle Eastern countries over the last month to help design and operate layered air-defense systems against Iranian drones.
- Zelensky said a senior Ukrainian delegation met Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Miami about 10 days ago, but reported no progress on a Ukraine peace process.
- He expressed fear that after the Iran war, the Trump administration will push Ukraine to withdraw troops from its own territory as part of a settlement with Russia, and said European leaders are worried by U.S. sanctions relief and policy shifts toward Moscow.
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