US Secretary of State Rubio Assures Ukraine No Arms Will Be Redirected to Middle East, Says FM Sybiha

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has confirmed that the United States currently has no plans to divert military aid intended for Ukraine to the Middle East. The announcement was made during a joint press conference in Kyiv alongside Kaja Kallas, the European Union's top diplomat.

Assurances from Washington

According to Sybiha, the issue was addressed during a recent G7 meeting in Paris, where he held a brief discussion with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio regarding the allocation of American weaponry.

"We received assurances that there is currently no talk of redirecting this assistance to another region," the Ukrainian minister stated, addressing concerns about potential shifts in US defense priorities.

Background of the Arms Redirection Debate

The dialogue follows a recent report by the Washington Post, which suggested that the Pentagon was evaluating the possibility of reallocating critical military equipment—originally designated for the Ukrainian Armed Forces—to support operations in the ongoing war with Iran. While Secretary Rubio previously clarified that the US is not currently redirecting weapons procured by NATO countries for Ukraine to the Middle East, he did not entirely rule out the possibility in the future.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has also weighed in on the matter. He recently confirmed that no redirection of US arms to the Middle East has taken place so far. However, he noted that future developments will depend on various factors, particularly the duration of the conflict in Iran.

Growing Defense Cooperation in the Middle East

In a related development, President Zelenskyy highlighted growing international interest in Ukraine's military expertise. He revealed that several Middle Eastern nations have expressed a desire to collaborate with Kyiv on defense technologies. The countries seeking cooperation regarding defense systems and the transfer of combat experience include:

• Jordan
• Kuwait
• Bahrain
• Oman

As geopolitical tensions remain high across multiple regions, Ukraine continues to solidify its defense partnerships while securing vital commitments from its primary Western allies.