BERLIN, March 4. /TASS/. The political leadership in Kiev fears that the conflict in Ukraine may fade into the background in the coming weeks and months amid escalating tensions in the Middle East. It is possible that deliveries of US-made PAC-3 missiles for Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine may slow down or become more expensive, the Berliner Zeitung (BZ) newspaper reported.

The publication notes that while the world’s eyes are on Iran, Israel and the Persian Gulf countries in recent days, concerns are growing in Kiev about falling behind militarily and politically. Zelensky is pinning his hopes on Trump, but the risks remain high.

There has been less reporting on Donbass, the front lines, and the situation in Kiev or Odessa. For Ukrainians, too, "it's a matter of attention economy," the newspaper notes. Moreover, according to Berliner Zeitung, this is not just a matter of political attention, but also of specific military issues. Specifically, Kiev needs US-made Patriot PAC-3 anti-missile systems. If the United States requires its stockpiles in the Middle East, deliveries to Ukraine could slow down or become more expensive, the publication says.

On February 28, the US and Israel launched a military operation against Iran. The strikes targeted major Iranian cities, including Tehran. The White House justified the attack by citing missile and nuclear threats it said were emanating from Tehran. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced a large-scale retaliatory operation, striking targets inside Israel. US assets in Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE and Saudi Arabia also came under attack. Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and several other key figures of the Islamic republic’s leadership were killed.