According to military and defense expert Dorothee Frank, the US government’s unusual request for help from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in drone defense is one thing above all: an advantage for Ukraine.
Although she doubts that Zelensky has any means of exerting pressure, his position is improving significantly geopolitically and in relation to other partner states.
The starting point is Trump’s requestUkraine should use its know-how in the Defense against Iranian drones help. Because Ukrainian drone defense is now one of the best in the world. The knowledge that Ukraine built up during the war is crucial. “It is the know-how that Ukraine was able to accumulate that will now be available to other states. Zelensky has already promised that,” said Frank. Travel is not necessary; the knowledge can be passed on digitally.
Defense systems from the 3D printer “can be transferred very nicely”
Not only knowledge and systems would be delivered, “but above all also construction instructions”. According to Frank, 3D printing plays a central role: “In Ukraine, a lot of production is now done using 3D printing.” If you bring 3D printers “to the Middle East, including the construction instructions, then these interceptor drones can be quickly manufactured locally.” Dorothee Frank reports his own observations: “I saw for myself at a trade fair in Lviv, Ukraine: Ukrainian combat units produce their systems or spare parts for systems on site using 3D printers. This can of course be transferred very nicely.” And that is “an advantage that Zelenskyj can also use in negotiations.”
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Gulf states could “give something back” to Ukraine
But Frank dampens expectations that Trump could be directly blackmailed: “To be honest, I’m not sure about Trump whether he didn’t simply forget next week that Zelenskyj helped him.” She concludes: “So I wouldn’t say that it gives him any leverage over Trump or any advantage at all.”
Frank assesses the effect on states like that differently United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. If they realize “that they are being helped by Zelensky, then they will also give something back at the same time.” They could later use their production of Shahed interception systems, i.e. “Shahed killers,” “to support Ukraine.”




