Instead of being the “chessboard” where other countries compete, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy wants his country to be a player in its own right.
The aid is intended to help counter Iran’s influence in Lebanon, which is highlighted by the presence of the Iranian-supported Shiite Hezbollah movement in the government and the group’s militias.
Egypt has used U.S. military aid to purchase major U.S. defense systems, such as the F-16 fighter aircraft, the M1A1 Abrams battle tank, and the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter and Humvees, some of which have seen combat on the Sinai Peninsula.