Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has revealed how Kyiv can help the United States reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which usually carries about a fifth of global energy supplies.
Iran has effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s busiest oil shipping channels, since the US and Israel attacked the country on 28 February.
US President Donald Trump has been pressing US allies for weeks to send their own naval assets to the strait to escort tankers.
He has grown increasingly frustrated that none have so far agreed to step in while the war is still ongoing.
Zelenskyy Says Ukraine Can Help Reopen Strait of Hormuz Using Black Sea
In a statement issued on Friday, April 3, Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s signal to the United States and countries in the Middle East about the Strait of Hormuz was that it was open to discussions.
Zelenskyy noted that, as of today, he does not see any country lifting the blockade on its own, and that only joint efforts can bring results.
He added that Ukraine has experience launching the Grain Corridor in the Black Sea during more than 4 years of war with Russia, despite Moscow’s attempts to block the flow of food and other goods.
He pointed to Ukraine’s efforts to keep sea lanes open and to develop technologies such as sea drones, presenting that know-how as potentially useful for countries seeking to restore safe passage through Hormuz.
“The situation now is similar, but it is about energy. Our suggestion, based on our experience, was that the war and the negotiations on reopening the Hormuz Strait can go in parallel,” he said.
“It’s worth trying to find a diplomatic solution, and this could be beneficial for both sides in the war.”
Also Read: Zelenskyy Warns Russia Using Oil Profits to Fund War and Global Instability
Zelenskyy said an alternative approach would be to control the Strait unilaterally, as Ukraine did with the Grain Corridor.
He noted that this would require interceptors, military convoys to escort vessels, a large integrated electronic warfare network, and other tools, adding that Ukraine stands ready to help.
“But for now, we are not yet involved. So far, no one has made such a request. We are simply sharing our knowledge. If one day our partners want to make use of it, we would be ready,” he added.
Zelensky’s offer comes after Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha joined a virtual meeting of about 40 countries focused on reopening the strait.
The discussions formed part of a broader diplomatic push, led in part by the UK and backed by Arab states, to secure commercial shipping without triggering a wider regional escalation.
Also Read: U.S. Military Speaks After Iran Reportedly Downed Fighter Jet in the Strait of Hormuz
UN to Vote on Hormuz Resolution as China Opposes Move
Meanwhile, the UN Security Council is preparing to vote on a Bahrain-drafted resolution authorizing the use of “ all defensive means necessary” to protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz from Iranian attacks, according to AFP.
The text, supported by the US, went through several amendments ahead of the vote scheduled for Saturday morning.
Diplomats said Bahrain, the current chair of the Security Council, finalized a draft resolution authorizing “all defensive means necessary” to protect commercial shipping.
However, in remarks to the Security Council on Thursday morning, China’s U.N. envoy Fu Cong opposed authorizing a force.
He stated that such a move would be “legitimizing the unlawful and indiscriminate use of force, which would inevitably lead to further escalation of the situation and lead to serious consequences,” he added.
A Security Council resolution requires at least 9 votes in favor and no vetoes by the 5 permanent members: Britain, China, France, Russia, and the United States.
US President Donald Trump has communicated publicly, as well as directly to aides and allies, that he believes other countries need to shoulder some, if not most, of the burden.
He has argued that because many European nations rely more heavily on the strait for its oil, they must also be responsible for helping get it back up and running.
