As Iran war rages, White House ignores Ukraine’s game-changing drone proposal
What is Trump waiting for?
Ukraine is currently awaiting White House approval for a significant drone production agreement that Kyiv proposed last year, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. This deal is significant, especially as countries worldwide are scrambling to modernize their air defenses after the ongoing Iran war highlighted some serious shortcomings in current systems.
According to ABC News, the proposed agreement between the US and Ukraine would cover a whole range of drones and air defenses. The idea is for these systems to operate as a single, cohesive unit, capable of protecting against massive swarms of hundreds, or even thousands, of Iranian-designed Shahed drones and missiles. Zelenskyy mentioned this in a recent social media message, noting that they haven’t been able to sign the document just yet.
Russia has already unleashed tens of thousands of these Iranian-designed Shahed drones on Ukraine since its full-scale invasion began over four years ago. There have been some truly massive attacks, like one nighttime barrage where Russia launched more than 800 drones and decoys. What’s even more concerning is that Iran has been firing the very same type of drones at targets in the Middle East in response to joint US-Israeli strikes.
This is a testament to Ukraine’s ingenuity
Ukraine has become a pioneer in developing super effective, cut-price drone killers. Some of these cost just a few thousand dollars, and they’ve totally rewritten the rule book for air defense. Zelenskyy is hopeful that the conflict unfolding in the Middle East might actually prompt American officials to move forward and sign this drone production proposal.
Ukraine is really keen to lock in future foreign support for its ongoing effort to push back Russia’s invasion. Securing drone production agreements could give Kyiv some much-needed diplomatic leverage in any future negotiations with Moscow. It’s tough right now, though, because US-mediated talks aimed at stopping Europe’s biggest conflict since World War II are currently on hold due to the Iran war.
Meanwhile, Russian oil revenue, which is a huge driver for its invasion of Ukraine, has actually risen since the Iran war began. New research from the nonprofit Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air indicates that Russia’s daily revenue from oil sales during the Middle East conflict, which has caused a sharp increase in crude prices, has been, on average, 14% higher than it was in February. That oil money is crucial for Moscow’s war effort.
President Zelenskyy was recently in NATO member Romania on March 12, and is set to visit French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on March 13. Macron’s office indicated that his talks with the Ukrainian leader will focus on efforts to counter Russia’s so-called shadow fleet of tankers. These tankers are shipping oil in violation of international sanctions, but they’re difficult to stop.
During his stop in Bucharest, Zelenskyy was scheduled to meet with Romanian President Nicușor Dan and Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan. He also planned to visit a training center for Ukraine’s F-16 pilots. Romania has been a vital ally for Ukraine, providing significant support by exporting a large amount of Ukrainian grain through its territory during the war. Bucharest has also offered crucial energy support to Kyiv as Moscow continues to blast Ukraine’s power grid.
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