Precisely one 12 months after the notorious Oval Workplace assembly through which President Donald Trump publicly humiliated Volodymyr Zelenskyy, telling the Ukrainian president that he has “no playing cards” to make use of in negotiations to finish Russia’s lethal invasion of his nation, Trump launched an assault towards Iran. Within the course of, he inadvertently gave Ukraine a couple of new playing cards.
In a bitter irony, after 4 years of being on the receiving finish of army assist, Ukraine discovered itself fielding pressing requests for its anti-drone warfare experience and gear, as Gulf states scrambled to counter the barrage of drones that Iran launched towards their territories in retaliation for the U.S. assault. Including to the karmic payback of the second, Kyiv is now ready to not directly avenge itself towards Iran, whose Shahed drones Russia has lengthy used to terrorize Ukraine’s civilian inhabitants. Certainly, the Shahed has turn into such a favourite of the Kremlin’s battle machine in Ukraine that Russia has began producing them underneath license.
In a column final 12 months, I detailed how Ukraine has turn into the world chief in drone warfare, noting that “no different nation has a comparable depth of expertise in constructing, using and defending towards drones.” It’s that final half, defending towards drones, that has turn into a urgent want within the Center East.
