Iran war opened doors for drone-savvy Ukraine. Zelenskyy is seizing the moment.
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Howard LaFranchi Staff writer
| Kyiv, Ukraine
In Persian Gulf and Middle Eastern capitals from Riyadh to Damascus, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has recently found the red carpet rolled out for him.
He also has been warmly received by European leaders from Berlin to Ankara, courted as a valued partner.
What a contrast with the humiliating scene that played out in the Oval Office in February 2025, when Mr. Zelenskyy, hat in hand, was belittled as a tiresome ingrate by U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance 鈥� even denied the luncheon that had been on the agenda.
Why We Wrote This
Ukraine has turned its enviable advances in drone technology into a diplomatic asset. Not so long ago, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited foreign capitals to beg for assistance. Now, he seals deals for drone sales and tech-sharing 鈥� making Ukraine a desirable security partner.
In just one year, Ukraine has been transformed from a supplicant nation pleading for international support for its survival to a hot ticket on the international relations circuit.
What changed? It can be summarized in two words: drone diplomacy.
Ukraine had already understood that in a world of mounting conflict and great-power competition, the battlefield innovations it has deployed and honed since Russia鈥檚 full-scale invasion in 2022 鈥� drones chief among them 鈥� would solicit widespread interest.
But efforts to leverage that drone technological know-how into stronger international standing advanced slowly. Until this year.
In February, a watershed moment occurred when the United States and Israel launched their war on Iran. As Iran started to wreak havoc on its Persian Gulf neighbors, deploying the same Shahed drones Russia uses in Ukraine, interest surged in Ukraine鈥檚 battle-tested drone technology, now widely considered the global standard.
It wasn鈥檛 long before Gulf states decided they needed to know more about the cheap but effective interceptor drones Ukraine has developed to counter the Iranian-designed Shaheds.
鈥淚mportant transition鈥�
Ukraine鈥檚 drone diplomacy was born, creating for Kyiv not only the opportunity for lucrative exports, but also joint development projects and bilateral bridge-building.
鈥淭his is a very important transition for Ukraine: from recipient of international help to provider of desirable expertise in defense technologies and infrastructure,鈥� says Volodymyr Fesenko, director of the Penta Center for Political Studies in Kyiv.
鈥淚f we see Zelenskyy talking about this all the time and pursuing his drone diplomacy wherever he goes,鈥� he adds, 鈥渋t鈥檚 because he understands how this strengthens Ukraine鈥檚 position in international affairs.鈥�
The Ukrainian leader had been trying for years to shift his country鈥檚 image from one of a needy assistance recipient to more of an equal partner 鈥� certainly in Europe, but elsewhere as well. His initial efforts to expand relations with Middle Eastern countries were a disappointment, diplomatic experts say, because Ukraine was seen as having little to offer other than the grains it has traditionally exported to help feed the region.
鈥淯kraine had tried for many years to demonstrate in different ways that we could be a security provider and a valuable defense partner, but for most countries 鈥� in NATO definitely 鈥� it was always, 鈥榳hat we can provide you Ukrainians,鈥欌�� says Hanna Shelest, director of security studies and global outreach at the Ukrainian Prism Foreign Policy Council. 鈥淭here was little interest in Ukraine鈥檚 desire for partnerships and two-way goals.鈥�
Then came war in the Persian Gulf.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not only that this war triggered relationships with countries in the Middle East that Zelenskyy had been trying to cultivate,鈥� Mr. Fesenko says. 鈥淏ut when these countries found out they were not prepared to respond to Iran鈥檚 drone attacks 鈥� and when the whole world witnessed this 鈥� it opened a window of opportunity for Ukraine.鈥�
The defensive technology Ukraine was offering was not only superior, but cheaper. As Iran sent waves of its relatively inexpensive attack drones slamming into Gulf countries鈥� military installations, swanky hotels, and vital oil and gas facilities, these countries responded with their expensive (and hard to replenish) American air defense systems. Ukrainian interception drones offered an alternative.
鈥淚f your adversary can produce cheap technology to attack you, there comes a point where you cannot sustain the use of expensive technology to defend yourself, and that is true for even the wealthiest countries,鈥� says Olena Bilousova, strategic projects adviser at the Kyiv School of Economics Institute. 鈥淪o the Iran war became a kind of demonstration project,鈥� she adds, 鈥渁n opportunity for Ukraine to show these countries under attack a better and cheaper solution, and for other countries around the world to take note.鈥�
At the same time, the world has witnessed that Ukraine鈥檚 drone-interception systems are not failsafe. Last week, Russia launched one of its largest drone and missile barrages of the war, sending more than 1,500 drones and 50 missiles into Ukrainian cities, primarily Kyiv. At least 12 people were killed in Kyiv, many in a strike that collapsed an apartment building.
Ukrainian officials reported that more than 90% of the drones were intercepted, but about 1 of every 4 missiles got through, prompting Mr. Zelenskyy to acknowledge that the country鈥檚 air defense systems still require improvement.
Deals and partnerships
Still, Ukraine鈥檚 high interception figures have not gone unnoticed, prompting countries to seek a drone deal with Ukraine.
In late March, Ukraine signed security partnerships with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, and last month reached defense and drone deals with Germany, Norway, and the Netherlands.
This month, Mr. Zelenskyy visited Bahrain carrying a drone defense deal and security partnership proposal in his portfolio. And last week, Ukraine and Germany reached an agreement to jointly develop long-range drones that could reach nearly 1,000 miles.
Even the U.S. is in early negotiations with Ukraine on a new bilateral defense agreement that would open the door both to obtaining Ukrainian defense technologies and to joint ventures with U.S. defense companies for drone development and manufacturing.
Interest in Ukraine鈥檚 drone technology is also rising in regions well outside the European and Middle East war theaters.
In April, Mr. Zelenskyy held a phone call with Chile鈥檚 new president, Jos茅 Antonio Kast, in which the two leaders discussed the role Ukrainian drones could play in surveillance of Chile鈥檚 long, remote, and often unguarded international borders.
Broader cooperation
Moreover, Ukraine has reasons to develop relations in the Middle East that go beyond weapons sales. 鈥淲hen Zelenskyy went to Damascus, many people noticed that here was Ukraine in Syria, a country that has been very important for Russia鈥檚 Middle East relations,鈥� says the Penta Center鈥檚 Mr. Fesenko.
Mr. Zelenskyy discussed not just defense matters with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, but also energy, food security, and regional cooperation.
Indeed, the test for Ukraine now will be its ability to transform itself from a circumstantial darling of drone technology cooperation to a long-term partner bringing a variety of interests to the diplomatic table, some experts say.
鈥淭he episodic visits by Zelenskyy to a few important countries is not going to be enough,鈥� says Mr. Fesenko. 鈥淲e really need an institutionalization of our diplomatic outreach that will allow us to build partnerships with more countries and in more areas of interest.鈥�
Still, drone technology is likely to remain at the core of Ukraine鈥檚 diplomacy for some time to come.
Noting that it was only six months ago that Ukraine鈥檚 Parliament voted to allow some limited exemptions to a ban on arms exports, Ms. Shelest says Ukraine needs to pursue all the advantages its drone expertise has provided.
鈥淲e did not ask for this war, but it has allowed us to find our niche and to offer something that has many countries saying, 鈥榃e want Ukraine on our side,鈥欌�� she says. 鈥淣ow we need to develop our drone diplomacy, and for that, we need to scale up our export sales to have the money to continue driving the innovation that makes us a valued partner.鈥�
Oleksandr Naselenko supported reporting for this article.
