Ukraine has some of the world’s best expertise on intercepting Iranian drones — and now wants to capitalize on it.
Donald Trump’s attack on Iran reveals that Ukraine does have some cards to play, after all.
The U.S. president lambasted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last year in the White House, telling him: “You don’t have the cards right now.” One year on, Ukraine is holding talks with polite American officials in Kyiv keen to get a look-in on Ukraine’s world-leading anti-drone technology.
“Partners are turning to us, to Ukraine, for help,” Zelenskyy said on Wednesday night. “Requests on this matter have also come from the American side.”
Zelenskyy said he was also talking to Arab nations seeking to upgrade defenses against Iran, such as the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Jordan and Bahrain. He was clear that Kyiv was seeking to gain strategic leverage from the talks. ___
Trading interceptors helps keep Russian occupation at bay; it’s what he must and will do. Putting aside his personal reservations (about working with someone who hates him) for the betterment of the country he leads, I respect him even more. Zelensky knows he doesn’t need to score FU points, he needs to save his country.