By John Irish and Gianluca Lo Nostro
PARIS, March 13 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday that a U.S. decision to ease sanctions on Russian oil was not helping to end the conflict in Ukraine as he sought reassurances of support in Paris amid the war in the Middle East.
Oil prices have surged since the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran, indirectly benefiting Russia, and Kyiv is concerned that the war is diverting attention from Ukraine.
"There is nothing good for Ukraine in the war in the Middle East. It's understandable that the attention of the world is moving to Middle East," he told students at the Sciences Po university in Paris.
The U.S. said on Thursday it would temporarily waive sanctions on Russian oil at sea.
"This single easing by the U.S. could provide Russia with around $10 billion for the war. It certainly does not help (to achieve) peace," Zelenskiy told a joint news conference with French President Emmanuel Macron.
The Iran conflict has also raised questions about the immediate supply of weapons – notably air defences – from Western partners to Ukraine, as Gulf Arab states draw down their own air-defence stocks to repel daily attacks from Tehran.
Zelenskiy said this will exacerbate Ukraine's acute shortage of air defence missiles. This week he said Gulf states had used more PAC‑3 Patriot air defence missiles against Iranian strikes in a few days than Kyiv had received from Washington over four years.
Zelenskiy has not specified the source of his figures.
The European Union has yet to agree on a proposed 90 billion euro loan that would, in part, provide Kyiv with funding to purchase weapons. Ukraine hopes the loan will be in place by mid‑April.
Macron said nothing would deter Europe from helping Ukraine, and he praised Kyiv's "remarkable tenacity and courage" in resisting Russia's assault.
The French leader said there was no justification to lift sanctions on Russia and that if Moscow thought the war in Iran would give it respite, then it was mistaken.
Without elaborating, Macron said weapons support to Ukraine would be stepped up.
Zelenskiy has sought to show Gulf Arab states – many of which maintain close ties with Moscow – that Ukraine can be a useful and reliable partner.
(Additional reporting by Juliia Dysa and Olena Harmas; Editing by Richard Lough, Gareth Jones, Alexandra Hudson)
