In response to a question about buying Ukraine's drones, President Donald Trump told Reuters Thursday, "I'll take any assistance from any country."
Newsweek has contacted the Department of Defense for comment via email.
The report followed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky saying late Wednesday that various countries, including the U.S., have approached Ukraine for help in defending against the Iranian drones.
"We received a request from the United States for specific support in protection against (Iranian-designed) 'shaheds' in the Middle East region," Zelenskiy wrote in English on the X social media platform.
"I gave instructions to provide the necessary means and ensure the presence of Ukrainian specialists who can guarantee the required security."
Conventional Wisdom: Iran War Edition Ukrainian-made interceptors offer a much cheaper alternative for defense against Iranian drone attacks than the U.S.-made Patriot missile systems.
They have been developed using Ukraine's experience during years of drone-heavy warfare with Russia, which has relied on Iranian-made Shaheds for aerial attacks.
The Ukrainian interceptors cost thousands of dollars each versus millions for a Patriot missile.
The drone problem offers Zelensky an opportunity to win the much-needed favor of President Trump, who is attempting to broker a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine.
But it is also a question of necessity: Ukraine relies on the Patriot missile systems to defend its own skies from relentless Russian missile attacks, and the depletion of their supply due to the Iran war will make it harder for Kyiv to get hold of them.
Offering to solve the Iranian drone problem with a cheaper Ukrainian alternative preserves Patriot supplies.
It was an Iranian drone that hit a U.S. facility in Kuwait and killed several American military personnel, the first to die in the war.
The United Arab Emirates alone said Thursday it has intercepted more than 1,000 Iranian drones and nearly 200 missiles fired into its territory since the war began.
Zelensky said he has spoken in recent days with the leaders of the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, and Kuwait about possible cooperation on drones.
Russia has fired tens of thousands of Shaheds at Ukraine since it invaded its neighbor just over four years ago, launching a swarm of more than 800 drones and decoys in its biggest nighttime barrage.
Ukrainian assistance in countering Iranian drones will be provided only if it does not weaken Ukraine’s own defenses, and if it adds leverage to Kyiv’s diplomatic efforts to stop the Russian invasion, according to the Ukrainian leader.
“We help to defend from war those who help us, Ukraine, bring a just end to the war” with Russia, Zelensky said.
Ukraine has pioneered the development of cut-price drone killers that cost as little as $1,000, rewriting the air defense rule book and making other countries take notice.
European countries got a wake-up call last September on the changed nature of air defense when Poland scrambled multimillion-dollar military assets, including F-35 and F-16 fighter jets and Black Hawk helicopters, in response to airspace violations by cheap drones.
Ukrainian manufacturers have developed low-cost interceptor drones specifically designed to hunt and destroy Shaheds, and its rapidly expanding drone industry is producing excess capacity.
Zelensky announced earlier this year that Ukraine would begin exporting the battle-tested systems.
Iran has launched multiple ballistic missiles at Israel carrying cluster bomb warheads during the ongoing conflict, indiscriminately spreading small bombs in wide areas of the country.
The warhead of such missiles opens up while descending and scatters around 20 smaller munitions with around 2.5 kilograms (5.5 pounds) of explosives, in a radius of around 8 kilometers (5 miles), according to the Israel Defense Forces.
The munitions do not have their own propulsion or guidance and simply fall to the ground, where they are designed to explode on impact.
Leaders may leave this world, but their ideology and impact never fade. The martyrdom of Ayatollah Khamenei would be remembered as a defining chapter in the history of resistance and resilience.
America, Israel and US allies will surely pay for this
For those of you mocking Iran's supreme leader, remember how this same america murdered so many African revolutionaries for opposing them, some of you are happy because Iran is a Muslim country
As a christian, i will never support oppression, genocide and imperialism
Fresh blasts were heard across the Gulf cities of Dubai, Doha and Manama on Sunday morning after Iran targeted territories in retaliation for US and Israeli strikes.
AFP reporters heard blasts in Dubai, in the UAE, in Doha, Qatar, and in Manama, Bahrain.
Even Saudi Arabia is also under missile attack, Israel and US have for a long time underestimated Iran's capability, I hope this isn't the start of a regional war
To every action, there is equal and opposite reaction
A child that says his mother will not sleep will equally not sleep
I so much like and respect some African ⁴ countries that see US as ordinary and equal partner, unlike Nigeria where people celebrate and rejoice at the mention of America
Zimbabwe has withdrawn from negotiations with the US on a new health aid agreement. It would have provided $367 million over five years, according to the US embassy in Zimbabwe.
The decision reportedly followed directives from President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who argued the proposed deal threatened the country’s sovereignty and independence. Zimbabwe objected to provisions granting the US long‑term access to national health data, arguing it posed risks to sensitive population‑level information and amounted to undue external intrusion.
Zimbabwe’s decision now places long‑standing US‑funded HIV/AIDS treatment support at risk. The halted deal comes as the US signs similar health pacts across Africa under its America First strategy, with countries such as Rwanda, Uganda, Lesotho, and Eswatini onboard.
As a Man, If a Woman wants to tarnish your image and ruin your life completely today, all she have to do is to set camera, shed a few tears on social media and mention your name.
Just anything at all she chooses to accuse you of will be carried far and wide in frenzy by bitter feminists, effeminate men, bloggers, influencers etc.
A female student of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), identified simply as Adeife, has publicly apologised after previously accusing her schoolmate, David, of being a rapist.
The apology follows a viral video in which David denied the allegation and said the accusation began after he shared his opinion on WhatsApp about the trending “Mirabel issue.”
David had explained that the disagreement escalated into online attacks, with Adeife allegedly tagging him as a rapist and circulating his content in group chats.
In a new video now circulating on social media, Adeife admitted that she falsely accused David in the heat of the moment and allowed her emotions to take over.
She clarified that David is not a rapist and said she has never witnessed or had any evidence of him committing such an act.
Adeife also expressed regret over the post and apologised directly to David while clearing the air publicly.
She said, “Good afternoon, everyone. I’m making this video to apologise to David in regards to the post I made yesterday, calling him a rapist, and accusing him of being a rapist because of his post. It was the heat of the moment. I let my emotions take over me, and I accused him. So this is me apologising and clearing the air that he is not a rapist.
“He is never a rapist. I’ve never caught him raping anybody. So I am sorry, David, I’m sorry for calling you a rapist, and this is just to clear the air. He is not a rapist. David is not a rapist.”
But why is it that when Africans commit crime against white people, they can be extradited to face charges and be imprisoned over there but when it's the opposite you hear things like their laws doesn't permit their citizens to be flown to another country for such
Ghanaian authorities have revealed the identity of the man accused of secretly recording intimate encounters with Kenyan and other African women without their consent as 36-year-old Russian national Vladislav Luilkov.
The government released the suspect’s passport details and has initiated international legal processes to ensure he faces charges once he leaves Russia.
Russian authorities had earlier dismissed a different name circulating online, saying it did not match any known citizen. The alias widely shared on social media—"Yaytseslav," described as a pickup artist from Ulyanovsk—has since been confirmed to be fake.
Ghanaian officials say they are pursuing legal avenues abroad, as Russia does not extradite its citizens to face prosecution in foreign countries.
This is heartwarming news, but shame on Nigeria police and the Benue state government, they could not get these helpless passengers out of kidnapper's den until the ransom was paid
I pray Nigeria should not happen to any of us and our families
Fourteen passengers of Igede extraction abducted along the Utonkon–Okpokwu Road in Benue State have regained their freedom after a ransom of N1 million was reportedly paid.
The victims were among 16 travellers from Obi and Oju Local Government Areas who were kidnapped around 7pm on February 9 while heading to the South-West.
Two of the passengers were earlier killed when kidnappers opened fire on their vehicle after the driver allegedly refused to stop.
The National Publicity Secretary of the Igede Youth Council, Jairus Awo Otakom, disclosed the release in a statement posted on his verified Facebook page on Tuesday.
He said, “The Igede Youth Council officially announces the release of our brothers and sisters who were abducted on February 9, 2026, along the Utonkon-Okpoga Road. We thank the Almighty for their safe return to their families.”
Otakom revealed that the ransom was jointly raised by the families of the victims and the National Union of Road Transport Workers.
“The families of the victims painstakingly contributed N500,000, which was augmented by a N500,000 contribution from the National Union of Road Transport Workers, totalling one million naira paid to the captors,” he said.
He added, “While we celebrate their lives, we remain saddened that ordinary citizens must pay for the security that should be guaranteed by the state.”
The council also commended the transport union for what it described as proactive leadership, financial support, and coordination that facilitated the victims’ release.
It further urged the state government to refund the ransom paid by the families and deploy adequate security personnel along the Utonkon–Okpokwu route to protect road users.
Confirming the development, the Chairman of Oju Local Government Area, Jackson Ominyi, told journalists that the victims had been freed, though he could not verify the ransom details.
“Yes, I was told that they have been released. On the ransom paid, I don’t have the idea, but no amount of money can equal their lives,” he said.
He added, “Remember, two of them lost their lives, but if ransom was paid to secure the others’ release, I don’t think it is a bad thing, though I don’t know the amount.”
Ominyi lamented the persistent insecurity along the road and promised to convene a meeting with the chairmen of neighbouring local governments to strengthen security measures in the area.
Meanwhile, the Benue State Police Command spokesperson, DSP Udeme Edet, said she could not immediately confirm the release or ransom payment.
“I will get back to you on this report when I get details,” she stated.
Russian blogger Vyacheslav Trahov, also known as Yaytseslav is facing serious backlash in both Ghana and Kenya over allegations that he secretly recorded intimate encounters with women and shared the footage online without their consent.
The controversy first went viral in February 2026 after reports claimed he used hidden recording devices including smart glasses to film private moments with different women during his visits to the two countries.
He put up a whole roaster of the women he slept with on his Tik Tok, detailing how he approached them and how it ended
What's making people even more angry is the fact that he didn't even put effort into getting sex
Real Madrid’s Champions League game against Benfica was halted for around 10 minutes in the second half after an incident of alleged racist abuse towards Vinicius Junior.
The incident occurred after the Madrid forward had opened the scoring in the 50th minute. Following his celebration and subsequent confrontation with Benfica players, Vinicius Jr ran over to referee Francois Letexier and appeared to point towards Benfica forward Gianluca Prestianni.
Prestianni denied the allegations in an Instagram post after the game. “I want to clarify that at no time did I direct racist insults to Vini Jr, who regrettably misunderstood what he thought he heard,” a statement on his account read. “I was never racist with anyone and I regret the threats I received from Real Madrid players”.
The game finished 1-0 to the away side but was overshadowed by what happened following Vinicius Jr’s goal.
The 25-year-old’s Madrid team-mate Trent Alexander-Arnold called the incident a “disgrace to football”, while Kylian Mbappe said “something has to be done” and “what happened today is more important than football” after he allegedly heard Prestianni “say that Vinicius is a monkey, five times”.
Benfica said in a social media post after the match, alongside an attached video of the alleged incident: “As the images demonstrate, given the distance, the Real Madrid players could not have heard what they claim to have heard.”
Other videos showed Prestianni had confronted Vinicius Jr more than once in the aftermath of his goal.
What happened?
Vinicius Jr celebrated in front of Benfica fans at the Estadio da Luz and was targeted by objects thrown from the Portuguese crowd.
The forward was booked by Letexier following his celebration and had exchanges with several Benfica players, including Prestianni, who had covered his mouth with his shirt. Other Madrid players were involved as the two sides clashed. During this period, Vinicius Jr ran back over to Letexier and appeared to point at Prestianni, with the French official then appearing to invoke FIFA’s ‘No Racism Gesture’ by crossing his arms in an X shape above his head.
The game resumed after a 10-minute delay, with Vinicius Jr then booed by the home fans when he touched the ball. Later in the half, Valverde also appeared to mimic a monkey gesture to Letexier, apparently indicating racial abuse.
Further objects were thrown towards Vinicius Jr and Alexander-Arnold from the same section of the crowd across multiple incidents in the final minutes of the game, causing more delays.
What is the ‘No Racism Gesture’?
FIFA’s guidance on racism during matches says: “Following its unanimous approval at the 74th FIFA Congress in Bangkok, Thailand, on 17 May 2024, a global crossed arms gesture to signal racist abuse is now part of football protocol at FIFA tournaments.
“The No Racism Gesture is designed to empower players, team officials and referees to take a stand against racism.
“By crossing their hands at the wrists, players can signal directly to the referee that they are being targeted by racist abuse, prompting the referee to start the three-step procedure.”
The 25-year-old, who has been repeatedly targeted for racial abuse in Spain for several years, was also abused before the match. FIFA’s No Racism Gesture was used by referee Ramon Abatti during the Club World Cup match between Madrid and Mexican side Pachuca last summer. Antonio Rudiger alleged that Gustavo Cabral had abused him, which the Pachuca captain denied, and reported the incident to Abatti.
UEFA has its own racism reporting initiative that referees can implement. UEFA and FIFA have a three-step protocol for stopping matches after alleged incidents, which can end in matches being abandoned. The Athletic has contacted UEFA for comment.
Foreign Affairs › Trump Administration Wants To Buy Ukrainian Weapons To Fight Iran - Newsweek by God1000(op): 9:55am On Mar 06
