How the War in Iran Helped Ukraine Go from Problem to Solution

Turns out, Ukraine has got cards.

Just last fall, Russia was inexorably advancing on the battlefield, money was running out and President Trump was pressing a peace deal on terms that favored Moscow.

Then, Trump’s war against Iran reshuffled the world. Drone warfare—the kind in which Ukraine has garnered four years of unmatched experience—went global with Iranian attacks throughout the Middle East. Instead of being seen as a problem to be solved, Ukraine became a sought-after solution—for Gulf monarchies, for European neighbors and increasingly for the U.S. military.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly toured the Gulf in recent months, sending some 200 troops to showcase Ukrainian drone-interception technologies and to ink deals that could lead to investment and co-production. This followed the establishment of Ukrainian drone-manufacturing plants across Europe earlier this year, and the growing adoption of Ukrainian military innovation by Western militaries, particularly in Europe.

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