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Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that a request from the United States for Ukraine’s assistance in the Middle East shows that Kyiv now has “cards” in international security matters.
The president made the remarks in an interview with Irish blogger Caelan Robertson.
During the conversation, Robertson noted that Washington turned specifically to Ukraine for help in countering drone threats in the Middle East rather than asking countries such as France or Germany. He also mentioned reports that the U.S. rejected an option involving a British aircraft carrier.
“It's a good feeling. It’s thanks to our soldiers — wonderful people — and to the many production facilities we developed since the beginning of the war. Now we have a high level,” Zelenskyy said.
When asked whether Ukraine now has “cards,” the president replied that the country had them before but chose not to reveal them.
“I think so. Like a good player, you may have good cards, but it’s important not to show everyone that you have them. I think we had them a year ago too, but we didn’t show them. Now everyone understands that we do,” he said.
Dispute with Donald Trump over “cards”
Zelenskyy’s remarks come after previous criticism from Donald Trump. During a tense meeting in the White House on February 28, 2025, Trump said Ukraine was not in a strong negotiating position and claimed Kyiv did not have the necessary “cards.”
Throughout 2025 and early 2026, Trump repeatedly argued that Zelenskyy lacked “real cards” in negotiations and suggested that Ukraine should agree to almost any peace deal.
However, developments in 2026 — including drone and missile attacks linked to tensions involving Iran and operations conducted by the U.S. and Israel — have highlighted Ukraine’s experience in countering large-scale drone attacks, making its expertise valuable to partners.
