The war in the Middle East could decide the fate of Ukraine’s fight against Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says that Israeli “strikes have led to a sharp rise in oil prices,” which is a negative factor. According to him, “the Russians are strengthening due to higher revenues from oil exports,” UNIAN reports. 

“If there are price caps, the price will be limited, so probably the risks will decrease. Although someone will circumvent even that. That is, you cannot completely avoid the risks,” the president explains.

He claims that Ukraine will increase proposals to the American side for the introduction of price caps and sanctions against Russia’s energy sector.

“I will soon be in contact with the American side, probably with the president, and we will raise this issue,” Zelenskyy states.

At the same time, he draws attention to the military aspect.

“If we say that Iran is an ally of the Russians in supplying weapons, then have serious strikes been inflicted on the production of Shaheds and rockets, and other capabilities? We hope that it will decrease,” he says. 

Furthermore, he notes that the escalation in the Middle East leads to increased aid to Israel from the US.

“No one challenges the relationship between America and Israel, but we would like the aid to Ukraine not to decrease because of this,” the Ukrainian president stressed and recalled that previous tensions “slowed down aid to Ukraine.”

Earlier, expert Abbas Galliamov said that the Kremlin is losing one of its key bargaining chips in negotiations with Donald Trump amid Israel’s strikes on Iran. Up to 13 June, there was a kind of trade-off: “Ukraine in exchange for Iran.”

According to him, Trump would offer Putin not to put too much pressure on him over Ukraine for now, but in return, he counted on the Russian president’s support in negotiations with Tehran on its nuclear program. 

Ukraine must rebuild the Kakhovka Hydropower Plant. Ukrhydroenergo, the state enterprise that administers hydro power plants, has announced it is preparing to fully design a new complex as soon as circumstances permit, Suspilne reports. 

Its destruction was one of Russia’s largest environmental and energy-related war crimes, and its reconstruction is a strategic step toward energy independence and national security. 

“We are ready to begin restoration work as soon as the war ends, the area is de-occupied, and agreements allow it,” emphasizes Bohdan Sukhetskyi, Acting CEO of the company.

According to him, a 3D model of the Kakhovka Reservoir bed has already been created, communication routes laid out, and a temporary dam planned. But actual construction can only begin after de-occupation and demining.

“Ukraine needs the Kakhovka HPP… Our first task is to ensure a water supply for the entire country. The second, to balance the power system,” Sukhetskyi reveals.

The destroyed plant was part of the Dnipro cascade of hydropower stations, which efficiently uses every drop of water from Kyiv to the Black Sea. Without Kakhovka, shipping stops, the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant cannot be cooled, and clean energy isn’t generated.

“The shipping corridor from the upper Dnipro to the Black Sea is currently non-operational… until we raise the water level,” the company head explains.

Following the dam explosion on 6 June 2023, 620 km² of land across four regions were flooded. 100,000 people were affected, at least 32 were killed, and damages totaled $1.5 billion.

Some analysts see it the act as a form of revenge against Kherson Oblast for resisting Russian occupation, and as a demonstration that Russia was willing to take drastic measures when unable to hold territory by force.