Ukraine’s Success

Kyiv’s deadly attack on July 25, which sank an Iranian ship in the Caspian Sea delivering weapons to Russia, proved two things: That Putin is behind Iran’s war against the United States and that Ukraine is America’s best ally. It also proved that Eastern Europe and the Middle East are both “theatres of operation” in Russia’s World War 3. Even so, the headline in a prominent US newspaper naively asked “Are the two wars converging?” – obviously written for those who don’t follow geopolitics or Putin’s predatory path.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. Ukraine’s attack against Iran disrupted Russia’s massive arms trading alliance with Iran. After the attack, Tehran denied any arms trade, then issued an ultimatum to Kyiv. But Ukraine’s foreign minister responded on X: “Iran’s threats are unjustified and groundless. The regime in Tehran is a direct accomplice to Russian aggression against Ukraine, fuelling Moscow’s criminal war with weapons that have killed Ukrainians since 2022.” A day later, another American headline suggested that “Ukraine is Becoming the NATO Ally Trump Wants.” But the fact is that Ukraine has been the NATO ally that all of Europe and America have been depending on since 2022, and that Donald Trump now needs Ukraine’s help in the Middle East. Ukraine was never a “loser” without cards, as Trump claimed in the Oval Office in February 2025. Ukraine’s armed forces are the best in Europe and are decimating Putin on the battlefield, at sea, and inside Russia’s homeland. An estimated 1.46 million Russian soldiers have been wounded or killed – equivalent to the population of Dallas or Munich. Other Topics of Interest US Pauses Planned Strikes on Iran Amid Deal Talks President Donald Trump announced the suspension of a planned military campaign against Iran, citing an agreement to negotiate a new deal. Ukraine’s recent bombing inside Russia has destroyed half of its energy exports, and, most importantly, upset ordinary Russians. Ukrainian drones and missiles now attack Russian cities and industries, causing fuel shortages, layoffs, and gasoline lineups lasting hours. However, Kyiv recently began to destroy warehouses owned by Russia’s online “Amazon,” called Wildberries, causing widespread shortages in consumer goods and increasing disaffection toward Putin’s flagging war. Apparently, the inability to order toilet paper or obtain a screwdriver online upsets Russians more than does the steady stream of caskets that have been returning for years from the Ukrainian front. On July 28, Trump met in Washington with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, then Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Minutes before the meeting with Ukraine began, a massive Ukrainian air strike in Moscow unofficially kicked off their discussion in the Oval Office. It was also the same day that staunch Ukraine supporter and Trump advisor Senator Lindsey Graham was laid to rest. And unlike the disastrous February 2025 meeting with Trump in the White House, Ukraine was not abused or treated like a supplicant. “It was a good meeting,” Zelensky said. “The President and I discussed licenses for Patriot interceptor production and several other ideas that could help. We also spoke about diplomacy – the diplomatic process must be reinvigorated. Our teams will arrange the details of their further communication.” Zelensky then received a hero’s welcome at Congress, and the Senate officially advanced the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026 with an overwhelming 86-12 bipartisan majority. The House is expected to do the same, and when it does, Russia’s energy exports and economy will tank within months. Zelensky emphasized Ukraine’s military capability to Trump and told reporters: “Ukraine really can produce everything; we can destroy everything from Iranian Shaheds and Russian drones and etcetera. [The] real problem is anti-ballistic systems and anti-ballistic missiles. And of course I shared what we need, our needs, shared it with the President today.” In February 2025, Zelensky was belittled by Vice President J.D. Vance and shown the door after a nasty, televised mugging in the Oval Office. Vance was not invited to this meeting, and he and others have scrapped the Russian talking points that have tainted the Trump administration’s attitude toward Ukraine’s struggle. Their recent flip-flop, by the way, isn’t about enlightened self-reflection. It’s because Ukraine is undeniably heroic and is winning. By comparison, Trump’s meeting with Netanyahu followed and was described lukewarmly as “good and productive.” But Trump publicly rebuked Netanyahu before the meeting for leaking to the press that he had evidence Iran was still pursuing nuclear technology despite their bombings. “Well, I don’t need Bibi to tell me that,” Trump bristled. “Bibi is telling me that because he wants me to stay involved. We know exactly what’s going on. But no, I heard Bibi announce that. I said, ‘Why don’t you just tell it to me? Why do you have to announce it to the world.’” Behind closed doors, the Israelis and Netanyahu have been difficult to deal with because they disagree with Trump on many matters. These include Trump’s plan to put foreign troops into Gaza to keep the peace; his close relations with Qatar and Saudi Arabia, and his proposed sale of F35s to Turkey, a NATO member and staunch Ukrainian ally. Netanyahu “hates” Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, according to Israeli reports, and alleges that he finances and harbors Middle East terrorists. Ironically, Ukraine is Trump’s best and most effective ally in his war against Iran. Its bold attack to disrupt the Iran-Russia Arms trade in the Caspian struck a bigger blow than have recent escalations by either Israel or the Pentagon. It was important because it identified the Caspian Sea as a war target, and showed how a complete closure of the Caspian Sea was possible and could cripple the Iranian regime militarily and economically. The route is Iran’s only alternative to shipping via the Strait of Hormuz or Red Sea. Closing or attacking it could give Trump leverage to force Iran to open Hormuz. Ukraine has also sent 200 military and drone experts to the Gulf states to help Trump’s Arab allies repel Tehran’s attacks by Russian and Iranian missiles and drones. Kyiv also sealed defense deals with Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates focused on countering Iranian missile and drone threats. “We do not want this terror by the Iranian regime against its neighbors to succeed,” explained Zelensky. Ukraine’s attack in the Caspian Sea was strategically “significant,” said Benjamin “Ben” Hodges, a retired US Army officer who was commanding general, United States Army Europe. He’s a strong supporter of Ukraine and noted: “Russia and Iran have been using the Caspian Sea for many years to avoid sanctions or interference. Ukrainians knew that Russia was helping Iran target US bases. Everyone on the planet knows Russia is helping Iran and Iran is getting help from China.” Hodges also considers the current situation a world war and that the axis behind it must be attacked. “The Nazis were defeated first, then the rest. In this case, defeat Russia first, isolate Iran and North Korea, then the Chinese will be deterred. Linkage is the best way to achieve a good outcome.” He added, in a recent interview, that the US military has not achieved the objectives in Iran that the president wanted, has “reached the limits of effectiveness,” and that the US “needs political and diplomatic help. We need allies.” Clearly, Trump must learn how to identify enemies and choose allies more wisely. In Ukraine’s case, he finally appears to be heeding the wisdom contained in the 4th-century Sanskrit proverb: “The enemy of my enemies is my friend.” Reproduced with permission. Read the original version of this article here. The views expressed in this opinion article are the author’s and not necessarily those of Kyiv Post.