Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy urged coordinated international action to establish a mission ensuring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, saying Ukraine's Black Sea wartime experience could be applied. He spoke to a video conference of 50 countries co-chaired by France and Britain and warned that unclear decisions now could embolden other aggressive actors. Zelenskiy highlighted Ukraine's expertise in escorting vessels, demining and air-defense coordination, and noted Kyiv has shared drone-defense know-how across the Middle East. He also pointed to security agreements with several Gulf states and ongoing talks with others.
Zelenskiy Calls For International Mission To Protect Navigation In Strait Of Hormuz
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy speaks after receiving the International Four Freedoms Award, in recognition of him and the people of Ukraine, during the Four Freedoms Awards ceremony in Middelburg, Netherlands, April 16, 2026. REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on April 17 urged coordinated international action to establish an effective mission that would guarantee freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. He said Kyiv's wartime experience in the Black Sea — including ship escort, demining and air-defense coordination — could be useful to such an operation.
The appeal came during a video conference attended by representatives of 50 countries and co-chaired by France and Britain.
“Decisions made regarding Hormuz now will determine how other aggressive actors perceive the possibility of creating problems in other straits and on other fronts,” Zelenskiy said, stressing the need for clarity and concrete measures.
He warned that vague political steps would be insufficient:
“In Hormuz, there are security challenges that cannot be addressed by political decisions alone,”he said, offering no further operational detail during the session.
Zelenskiy, whose comments were posted on the Telegram messaging app, said Ukraine had already carried out a very similar mission in the Black Sea over four years of war with Russia.
“Russia also attempted to blockade our sea and we have experience in escorting merchant vessels, demining, defending against air attacks and the overall coordination of such operations,”he said, describing capabilities Kyiv could contribute.
He added that Ukraine has deployed specialists across the Middle East to share lessons learned in defending against Russian drones, many of which are believed to be of Iranian design. "We can also contribute to maritime security," he said.
Ukraine has signed security cooperation agreements with Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, and Zelenskiy said Kyiv is in talks with Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain about further collaboration and support.
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