Ukraine’s battlefield experience with drones could become too useful for Washington to dismiss, according to the founder of a US-registered charity set up to support Ukraine's fight for independence. Stephen Moore, founder of the Ukraine Freedom Project, made the argument in an interview with TVP World, as Ukrainian and US negotiators prepared to meet in Miami after a broader trilateral track involving Russia was postponed. The interview centered on whether US President Donald Trump might reconsider his dismissive tone toward Ukrainian assistance on drone defense. Moore argued that the economics of modern warfare may ultimately force a rethink. “We spent six missiles trying to take down Patriot missiles at $3 million in each, trying to take down a drone, a $35,000 drone,” he said, pointing to the high cost of traditional air defense against cheap unmanned systems. He said Ukraine’s advantage lies not only in lower production costs, but also in speed. “Their iteration time is measured in days rather than months,” Moore said, arguing that the country’s defense sector has adapted under wartime pressure far faster than US manufacturers. That argument comes as Kyiv tries to turn hard-won wartime experience into a strategic asset abroad. Ukraine has deployed 228 specialists to help Middle Eastern countries with drone defense, while also seeking agreements with multiple regional partners. The clearest takeaway was: if the US wants cheaper and more adaptable ways to counter drone warfare, Ukraine may have something Washington cannot easily replicate on its own.
