On Thursday, April 2, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha participated in an international meeting on restoring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, held under the chairmanship of the UK Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, Yvette Cooper.
“For Ukraine, Iranian terror is not an abstraction. Every Ukrainian knows the sound of Iranian Shahed drones. We know that this sound brings death. For many years, Iran has been helping Russia kill our people,” the Minister noted.
Andrii Sybiha recalled the recent historic tour of the Middle East by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, during which multi-year bilateral security agreements were signed with Saudi Arabia and Qatar. He also pointed out that immediately following the escalation in the region, the Ukrainian side dispatched specialists to Middle Eastern countries for direct exchange of experience and the strengthening of security cooperation.
“Isolated regional conflicts no longer exist. Ukraine’s combat experience is valuable for the Middle East. Global security is interconnected,” the Foreign Minister emphasized.
Andrii Sybiha highlighted a direct link between the current situation in the Strait of Hormuz and Russian aggression against Ukraine.
“Terrorist regimes exchange experience. What Iran is doing today in the Strait of Hormuz, Russia did yesterday in the Black Sea. The problem is that Iran has studied Russia’s mistakes and drawn conclusions from them,” he remarked.
The head of the diplomatic department noted that regarding the Strait of Hormuz, Iran shares the same goals that Russia had in the Black Sea: to destabilize global markets and blackmail others. He added that the only difference is that four years ago, Russia attempted to weaponize food, while today Iran is attempting to weaponize energy.
According to the Minister, Ukraine also has a direct interest in the stability of global markets. Russia must not be allowed to exploit instability in the Middle East to finance many more years of war.
Drawing parallels, Andrii Sybiha reminded that Ukraine succeeded in breaking the Russian blockade in the Black Sea thanks to naval drones and a clever strategy.
“We achieved success because we acted decisively — and this is exactly the mindset the world needs today. Ukraine’s position is clear: terror must receive a decisive response, and freedom of navigation must be protected,” Andrii Sybiha underlined.
He added that the principles of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea must be upheld in the Strait of Hormuz just as they must be in the Black Sea.
“We must put an end to this blockade. Ukraine is ready to work with the countries of the region on a bilateral level and cooperate with our transatlantic partners. Ukraine is ready to make its contribution,” the Foreign Minister concluded.