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According to Zelenskyy, the US has requested Ukraine’s help in countering Iranian drones.
We all remember the February 2025 meeting in the Oval Office between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The meeting was televised and became infamous for going off the rails when Donald Trump told Zelenskyy that Ukraine did not “have the cards right now,” referring to Ukraine being dependent on US military aid.
Vice President JD Vance chimed in, accusing Zelenskyy of being disrespectful and not thanking Trump for trying to end the war.
Well, a lot can happen in a year, and if Ukraine did not have the cards back in February 2025, they seem to have them now — because of the US-Israeli attack on Iran.
US request for Ukrainian drone expertise
On Monday, Zelenskyy told The New York Times that the US had requested help from Ukraine in countering Iranian drones targeting US military assets in the Middle East.
According to Zelenskyy, Ukraine sent a team of counter-drone experts as well as an undisclosed number of interceptor drones to help protect US military bases in Jordan.
The White House has not confirmed that it made the request.
But where Ukraine was dependent on US military aid a year ago, the tables seem to have turned in the US-Ukraine relationship.
Ukraine has “always” had the cards
In an interview with Irish blogger Caolan Robertson released on Wednesday, March 11, Zelenskyy reflected on whether Ukraine now has stronger negotiating power following a US request for assistance protecting American bases in the Middle East from Iranian drones.
“Do you think Ukraine has the cards now?” Robertson asked during the interview.
“I don’t know, you tell me,” Zelenskyy replied. “I think yes. But I think that we had them.”
“It’s like a good player,” he continued. “You can have good cards, but it’s not important to show everybody that you have these cards.”
“I think that a year ago we had them. I didn’t show them. But now everybody understands that we have,” he said.
Growing drone expertise
Zelenskyy said the US approach reflects Ukraine’s rapid progress in countering Iranian-designed drones, which Russia has widely deployed in attacks on Ukrainian cities since the invasion.
According to the Ukrainian president, the war has forced the country to build advanced capabilities in drone detection and interception, creating expertise that partners are now seeking.
“It’s a good feeling. This is thanks to our soldiers, our talented people, and the many industries that we have developed since the start of the war. We have reached a high level now,” Zelenskyy said.
Sources: Interview with Caolan Robertson; statements by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy; The New York Times
