Ukraine has now become, next to Israel, the country most able to provide the kind of military technology and advice that the US needs to fight Iran and prepare for potential conflict with China.
It has achieved this status by developing its own, demonstrably effective weapons and tactics, but also by improving the US and NATO weapons it has received as gifts. And it has accomplished this while becoming not a supplicant, but a hard-nosed, transactional partner which understands the needs of its partners as well as the importance of lower cost and impact. In doing so, Ukraine has positioned itself as the ally best able to convert its expertise and production into an economically invaluable supplier. JL
If any country in Europe has the expertise to become a crucial node in America’s military supply chain, it’s Ukraine, an invaluable source of military know-how. Last month, the Ukrainian government approved exporting weapons and defense tech for the first time because the country now produces more weapons than it can afford to buy from its own companies. Ukraine currently produces 10 million drones a year; compared with the US’s 100,000. Some of these cost as little as $1,000 to make but have taken out Russian targets worth millions. Ukrainian technicians have upgraded some American products to achieve all of this. The US drone campaign against Iran now involves repurposing civilian technology for military use, as Ukraine has done. (And) a Florida-based drone company is looking for Ukrainian hardware and licenses includes investors: Eric and Donald Trump Jr.























