Trump will purchase special technology from Ukraine to shoot down Iranian drones

Almost seven months ago, senior Ukrainian officials tried to sell to the US their operational and proven technology to shoot down Iranian-made UAVs. They even prepared a Power Point presentation – a copy of which reached N12 – that showed how the American forces and their allies in the Middle East could be protected using Ukrainian technology.

The Trump administration despised the Ukrainian proposal and dismissed it, but changed direction last week following the Iranian drone attacks that were more effective than expected.

• The rejection of the Ukrainian proposal is considered one of the administration’s biggest tactical errors since the start of the war with Iran on February 28, two senior US officials said.
• Iran’s cheap Shahad drones killed seven American soldiers, and cost the US and its allies in the region millions of dollars in interceptions.
• “If there was a tactical mistake we made in preparation for (the war with Iran), it was this one,” admitted an American senior official.

• Ukraine is the most experienced country in the world in combating the Iranian “Shahed” UAVs, which Russia purchased, obsoleted and rebranded as “Gran” UAVs. The Russians launched thousands of such UAVs at targets in Ukraine.
• Ukraine has developed a cheap interception drone, along with sensors and other air defense systems, to shoot down Iranian-made drones.

• In a closed meeting at the White House on August 18, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky offered President Trump the interceptor drones as a way to strengthen ties between the countries and as a sign of gratitude for American support in the face of Russian aggression, according to one American official.
• The Ukrainians presented a presentation that included a map of the Middle East and an almost prophetic warning: “Iran is improving the design of the Shahad model suicide attack drone.”
• The presentation included an idea to establish “UAV warfare centers” in Turkey, Jordan and the Gulf countries, where American bases are stationed, to deal with the threat from Iran and its affiliates.
• “We wanted to build ‘walls against UAVs’ and everything required – radar and the like,” said a senior Ukrainian official.

• “At that meeting in August, Trump asked his team to work on it, but they did nothing,” the Ukrainian official said.
• An American official who saw the presentation confirmed that Zelensky’s team presented it to the administration, and estimated that in the eyes of some members of the Trump administration, Zelensky was seen as the leader of a patron state who was only trying to promote himself and his words were not taken seriously enough.
• “We thought it was Zelensky acting like Zelensky. Someone decided not to buy it,” the American official said.
• On Thursday, the US formally asked Mazlansky for assistance against Iranian drones.

• “Iranian retaliatory strikes have dropped by 90 percent because their ballistic missile capabilities are completely destroyed,” White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said.
• Kelly added: “The description of cowardly anonymous sources is inaccurate and proves that they are looking from the outside in. Defense Secretary Pete Hesseth and the US military have done an amazing job of planning for every possible scenario on the part of the Iranian regime, and the undisputed success of Operation Epic Rage speaks for itself.”

• Understanding Trump’s “art of the deal” concept, the Ukrainians constructed the offer as a business partnership offer and promised to help create jobs in the US in the field of UAV production.
• In exchange for giving the US access to the knowledge and production of their attack and defense systems, Ukraine offered to purchase American weapons.
• “Our problem was money. Our resources allowed us to produce only 50% of what we are capable of producing. We wanted the US to invest the remaining 50% and be a partner in production,” said the Ukrainian official.