President Volodymyr Zelensky is concerned that a protracted conflict in the Middle East will limit the number of weapons that are provided by Western countries to Ukraine. 

Zelensky informed reporters via WhatsApp on Monday that  a long war between the US and Iran “will certainly affect supplies.” “So far, everything is going as it was, but of course we know that a long war, if it is long, and the intensity of hostilities will affect the number of air defenses for us,” he said. “Everyone understands that for us this [air defense missiles] is our life.”

After Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, President Joe Biden and other Western leaders urged Zelensky against agreeing to a peace deal with President Vladimir Putin, believing that a protracted conflict would weaken Russia. The leaders pledged to provide Ukraine with all the support it needed for as long as the war continued. 

However, Western countries lacked the supply chain to make enough weapons for Kiev. Additionally, President Donald Trump stopped approving new military assistance packages for Ukraine. European members of NATO have attempted to keep the Ukrainian military fighting by buying American weapons for Kiev. 

Israel’s wars across the Middle East have further strained US military stockpiles. During the war with Iran in June, the US used a significant portion of its interceptors attempting to defend Israel from Iranian weapons. 

Since the US and Israeli attack on Iran on Saturday, Tehran has refused ceasefire proposals and talks with Washington, signaling the Islamic Republic is prepared for a longer conflict. Iran has targeted US military bases across the Middle East and Israel with missiles and drones. 

A sign that the US may be running short on interceptors, America’s Arab allies have complained that they were stonewalled by Washington when they requested additional missile defenses.