London, United Kingdom. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Ukraine could offer protection to Europe through a security proposal similar to how the United Kingdom’s sovereign bases in Cyprus operate. He made the remarks during a visit to the UK parliament alongside Nato secretary-general Mark Rutte.
Proposal based on Cyprus sovereign bases
Zelenskiy said Ukraine’s proposal could resemble “British military bases in Cyprus,” adding that Ukrainian experts could place interception teams and set up radar and acoustic coverage. He was referring to the surveillance and signals intelligence infrastructure present in Cyprus’ two sovereign base areas.
He said that if Iran launched “a large-scale attack, similar to Russian attacks”, Ukraine “would guarantee protection”. He added: “This is the kind of reinforcement we offer, and it soon may be needed across Europe.”
Drone warfare and maritime launch risks
Zelenskiy highlighted advancements in drone-based warfare since the outbreak of war in Ukraine in 2022, saying drones have become central to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
He said drones can be launched from land and from ships at sea, adding that such long-range strikes are no longer rare. He said that, with European seas still hosting many tankers from Russia’s shadow fleet, launching drones from such vessels was no longer unexpected.
Defence against Shahed drones and Russian components
Zelenskiy said Ukraine has “learned how to defend itself against Iranian ‘Shahed’ drones,” which he described as the same type that struck Cyprus’ Akrotiri air force base on March 2. He also said those Shahed drones “contain Russian components”.
It has been widely reported that the drone which struck Cyprus was fitted with a Russian Kometa-B navigation system, developed to protect Russian drones from jamming technology, safeguard against Ukrainian-built jamming systems and help ensure drones hit their intended targets.
Call for joint European defence efforts
Zelenskiy concluded by saying Europe “must go further” and “must build modern defence forces together”.
How do you view Ukraine’s proposed role in strengthening Europe’s air and drone defences?
