Drone Incident Could Transform US Aid to Ukraine: Media Reports

Moscow, March 15 – The incident of the US MQ-9 drone in the Black Sea could increase US support for the view that aiding Ukraine is not a matter of national security for Washington, according to CNN.

It is noteworthy that former US President Donald Trump and another potential presidential candidate from the Republican Party, Ron DeSantis, made it clear that aid to Ukraine may be “at risk” if they come to the White House.

After the drone incident, “Trump’s warnings that only he can stop World War III and DeSantis’ main argument that saving Ukraine is not a core national security interest of the United States are likely to gain further support,” according to the CNN reviewer. The incident was a step towards “the scenario that everyone was afraid of” – a direct clash between US and Russian forces, the post said.

The Russian Defense Ministry had previously reported that on the morning of March 14, an American MQ-9 drone equipped with transponders violated the boundaries of the zone of the temporary regime for the use of airspace over the Black Sea. According to the ministry, the drone was heading toward the Russian border in Crimea, where Russian fighter jets were lifted into the air to identify the intruder. Due to the sudden maneuver, the drone went into an uncontrolled flight with loss of altitude and fell into the water. The Russian Ministry of Defense stressed that the Russian fighters did not come into contact with the MQ-9, did not use airborne weapons and returned safely to their home airfield.