When Donald Trump sat in the Oval Office, he humiliated Volodymyr Zelensky before the world, sneering that Zelensky had no leverage and barking: "You don't have the cards." Trump's aides berated the wartime leader. It was thuggish and cruel.
Failed Peace Promise
Today, as Zelensky returns to Washington for the funeral of Lindsey Graham, with Benjamin Netanyahu also flying into the capital, Trump's boast has aged badly. He claimed he could end Russia's war within 24 hours, but Putin kept bombing Ukrainian cities. Trump instead piled pressure on Ukraine and attacked Zelensky more viciously than Putin.
Ukraine's Rise in Drone Warfare
While Trump performed, Ukraine became a world leader in drone warfare, developing cheap weapons capable of destroying tanks and striking deep inside enemy territory. The technology Trump once dismissed is now vital to his own military ambitions.
Shift in Power
Trump's war in Iran is going badly, burning a £30 billion hole in taxpayers' pockets. Zelensky returns with dignity, battlefield credibility and technology America urgently needs. The bully who once humiliated Zelensky now needs what Ukraine can provide.
