President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the US request to Ukraine for help with security issues in the Middle East demonstrates Kyiv’s capabilities. According to him, thanks to Ukrainian defenders and military production, Ukraine “has cards to play” that it has not shown before.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy said this in an interview with Irish blogger Caolan Robertson.
Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukraine’s current capabilities are the result of the work of the Ukrainian military and the development of defense production, which has increased since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
“Thanks to our soldiers, wonderful people, and a large number of different products, the production of which we have increased since the beginning of the war, we now have a high level,” the president said.
He noted that he was pleasantly surprised that Western allies turned to Ukraine with a request to help counter Iranian drones. According to Zelenskyy, the US asked Kyiv for support.
“The Americans asked us, and I am proud that we can help our American partners,” he said.
The president also said that Ukraine has capabilities that it had not previously demonstrated.
“We were in a situation like a good player — you can have good cards, but it’s important not to show them. I think a year ago I had them too, but we didn’t show them. But now everyone understands that we have them,” Zelenskyy said.
He also stated that Europe and the US, despite their technological capabilities, are not ready for a potential Third World War. According to the president, no one currently has as much experience in countering ground forces as Ukrainians, and future wars will not be limited to drones and missiles.
According to Zelenskyy, Ukraine has received 11 requests from other countries for assistance in combating Shahed kamikaze drones. These are countries bordering Iran, as well as some European countries and the US. The president also said that Ukraine has already sent a group of experts and drones to protect American bases in Jordan.