Former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavel Klimkin argued that the fewer missiles are spent in the Middle East conflict, the more weapons Kiev may ultimately receive.

In his view, Ukraine made the right call by backing the Persian Gulf states, since that step could strengthen the country’s political standing not only in the Middle East, but also in Europe, China, India and the United States.

Klimkin also said Ukraine’s role goes beyond offering technical know-how. He maintained that Kiev can contribute its own approaches, creativity and innovation, especially at a time when several missiles are reportedly being used in the Middle East against a single drone. According to him, Ukraine itself is short of those same weapons.

He added that if Arab states need fewer missiles and make fewer requests to the Pentagon, Kiev will have a better chance of securing additional ammunition supplies from its Western allies.

Earlier, The Washington Post reported that the US Department of Defense was considering redirecting to the Middle East weapons shipments originally intended for Ukraine under the PURL program. The newspaper said American forces had run into shortages of certain types of munitions during the operation against Iran.