Britain's armed services minister Al Carns has praised Ukraine's drone technology as among the best in the world, suggesting Kyiv could play a meaningful role in international efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz amid an ongoing Iranian blockade.
The strait, a critical chokepoint through which a significant share of the world's oil supplies passes, has been effectively closed following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, dealing a serious blow to the global economy.
In response, Britain has taken the lead in organizing discussions among more than 30 nations this month to coordinate a strategy for restoring freedom of navigation in the region.
Ukraine, despite fighting its own war on home soil, has already demonstrated its value in the Middle East theatre.
More than 200 Ukrainian experts have been deployed to the region, where they have successfully engaged and downed Iran's long-range Shahed drones, the same unmanned systems that Kyiv has been countering on its own territory for years.
Minister Carns' remarks signal a broader recognition that Ukraine's hard-won battlefield experience, particularly in drone warfare and counter-drone operations, represents a strategic asset that extends well beyond Eastern Europe. As the international community scrambles to find a coordinated response to the Hormuz crisis, Kyiv's technical expertise could prove a decisive contribution.