The US war with Iran risks leaving Ukraine vulnerable to Vladimir Putin’s forces, Volodymyr Zelensky has warned, as Donald Trump turns his firepower on the Middle Eastern country. In an exclusive, wide-ranging interview with The Independent, the Ukrainian president shared his concerns about the impact of the growing conflict with Iran on his country’s efforts to defend itself against Russia. Ukraine could now face a shortage of air defence missiles to protect its cities from attacks, he said, as the US and its allies use hundreds to defend against Iran’s waves of drones and rockets. Volodymyr Zelensky has spoken to The Independent about the impact the Iran war could have on Ukraine (The Independent)“The focus will shift to the Middle East, to the Iranian war, now, and to the United States and also to Israel,” Zelensky told the World of Trouble podcast. “This is very understandable. And to the countries in the Middle East, who are now under attacks, massive attacks of drones and missiles from the Iranian side. “Our estimation, of course, is that air defence [for Ukraine] could decrease.” Zelensky, who has been a vocal supporter of the latest US-Israeli air campaigns in Iran, and called for more support for the popular uprising earlier this year, said he has prepared his commanders to cope with the predicted shortfall in their own defences.Ukraine’s president was clear that he was not complaining, but rather setting out the practical reality his country faces as the war against Iran continues. There are few defences against incoming ballistic missiles, which are fired in an arc, taking them into space and bringing them down at up to five times the speed of sound. Russia has been using them against Ukraine for four years. But most anti-missile systems designed to combat ballistic missiles, notably Patriot and the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) systems, are manufactured in the US, and are the main defences used across the Gulf region and beyond.The US-Israeli war on Iran has engulfed the region, with no clear end in sight (AFP/Getty)“They’re mostly [made] in the United States, so they produce the air defences, and of course they will control this number, and they will, I think, try to hold [on to] the package of such missiles. It’s understandable,” Zelensky said.Kyiv now produces vast quantities of short-range drone interceptors, and experts from the country are being rushed to the Gulf to advise on air defences against Iran’s swarms of low-tech attack missiles. But for its own defence, Ukraine has been in contact with supporters around the world who buy weapons from the US, asking them to help, and so far, says Zelensky, his government has not heard back from them about how to meet the coming shortfall.“My team knows about it, and they already have got the message from me that they have to prepare for such challenges,” he added.Zelensky said Ukraine must prepare for the challenges ahead (AFP/Getty)Zelensky also warned of the impact of the Iran war on oil prices, as Tehran has strangled shipping routes through the Arabian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz. Crude oil prices have surged by almost a fifth since Iran was attacked by Israel and the US. China buys 48 per cent of Russia’s oil, and India buys 38 per cent of it, according to data published this month by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air. Much of this is delivered to them by a shadow fleet of tankers, in an effort to avoid international sanctions.“How Russia uses [the price boom] or not will depend on how our partners will work with the biggest importers,” said Zelensky, without naming any countries. The European Union remains Russia’s biggest gas client, and many maritime nations have been reluctant to stop and seize shadow oil tankers passing their territory.Iran’s control of the Strait of Hormuz could end up benefiting Vladimir Putin, as it blocks the flow of oil and gas (Reuters)“So that’s why we have to work on it,” Zelensky continued. “And we have to continue to work on sanctions, on shadow fleets, to stop tankers [carrying] Russian oil.”He said that he did not expect Russian attacks using drones and other missiles to be affected by the US-Israeli offensive against Iran, which has been a major supplier of Shahed drones for the last four years, because Russia had moved much of its production of the Iranian weapons to its own territory.Zelensky stressed that he was not being critical of the US – always aware that the Trump administration reacts very badly to any criticism. But he did explain that Vladimir Putin had not been put under enough military and economic pressure to approach peace talks with any genuine intent. Last year, Zelensky travelled to the White House to try to persuade Trump to allow the sale of long-range Tomahawk missiles to Europe for use by Ukraine. Zelensky lobbied Donald Trump for Tomahawk missiles during a visit to the White House (AP)His efforts ultimately failed, and now Tomahawks are being used in huge numbers against Iran.Zelensky said he had seen various estimates of how many had been used against Iran: “Two thousand? I don’t know exactly... in the first two days.“You know how many I asked for from the United States? Two hundred, I said, or just give us 100.”He said that during negotiations with the US, Iran had been told to stop its nuclear programme, stop producing and selling missiles, and stop sponsoring terrorism.“[The US] said, ‘Look, if you’re not ready to stop, [then] one, two, three.’ They would face aggressive steps. ‘If you are not ready [to comply], we will answer [with force].’“In my case, what I proposed to all the partners was [this]: tell Putin. One, two, three, the same steps – and then, [if he does not comply], don’t even help us. Just give us the weapons.”