If there’s one thing that President Trump respects, it’s strength.

And if there’s one thing he detests, it’s weakness. It’s high time for the US president to realize, finally and conclusively, that Russia is increasingly vulnerable and Ukraine is growing stronger technologically.

It’s also high time for Ukraine to act strong by stepping up the pressure on Vladimir Putin and exposing even more of Russia’s vulnerabilities.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky did not come away from his recent trip to Washington DC with what he wanted: Tomahawk cruise missiles. Trump refused to commit to supplying the long-range systems.

However, during their discussions, Zelensky appeared to suggest a possible trade – Ukrainian drones for American Tomahawks. “Ukraine has thousands of our own drones, but we don’t have Tomahawks,” Zelensky said.

The very fact that this idea is even being floated is a testament to the technological progress Ukraine has made in becoming a drone superpower. Kyiv’s capabilities have Trump’s attention now more than ever.

At the same time, Trump and Putin had an extended telephone conversation that was supposed to lead to a Trump-Putin summit.

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Predictably, a few days later the White House announced that no meeting was in the works–presumably because Putin, true to fashion, rejected a ceasefire and insisted on Ukraine’s capitulation.