Precisely one year ago, I launched my TOI blog, and I’d like to thank the platform for the opportunity. A lot of my pieces have been warmly received and read widely. I only wish that more Ukrainians, Jewish or not, joined the platform to tell the world more about Ukraine, Israel, the ties between the two, and Russia’s gross propaganda.
Now that I’m done with my politician-eyeing-a-seat-on-the-local-council speech, I’ll focus on a real politician: US Vice President J.D. Vance.
He has become the main talking point among many Israelis outraged not only by the Iran deal, made without Israeli participation, but also by his acidic rhetoric — namely, his statement that Israel needs to appreciate the Trump administration because it is Jerusalem’s only “friend.”
In other words: “Have you said thank you once?”
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that this phrase comes from the now-iconic exchange between Vance and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House meeting in February 2025.
I personally believe that episode was one of the ugliest imaginable, precisely because it was — contrary to what some believe — unscripted. Zelenskyy did not have to ask Vance semi-provocative questions in a language he is not fluent in, but Vance also did not have to turn it into an opportunity to degrade him as if he were not the president of an embattled country to which the US once gave security assurances under the 1994 Budapest Memorandum.
But he did.
Just as he once took the opportunity to state that one of the things he was most proud of in his tenure was “stopping aid to Ukraine.”
Because such is Vance’s nature. This is how he has built his political career: on cynicism so blatant that it would alarm everyone except Tucker Carlson.
So Israelis should not be surprised by his current conduct. The signs were everywhere, including when the US openly and audaciously tried to strike some kind of deal with Russia over Kyiv’s head. Luckily, it did not succeed, because Putin cannot afford to end the war: one way or another, he would then be held accountable through major societal dissatisfaction.
But it is also untrue that Israel “has no friends.”
It does.
Publicly or behind closed doors, there are plenty of states willing to enhance cooperation with Jerusalem. Ukraine is one of them, and I genuinely do not understand the bizarre grudges both states continue to hold against one another because of some votes, history, and occasional drama, such as the grain scandal.
It is not really worth it, given how much Israel could benefit from Ukraine’s experience intercepting Shaheds.
Turned out to be tricky, didn’t it?
But the larger point is not even this.
The other day, I came across a tweet saying that “Ukraine is the Israel of Europe”, and that is very true. In reality, both Israel and Ukraine need to learn from each other, because there is no guarantee that the Trump administration — or the one that succeeds it in 2028 — will be able to curb Iran’s nuclear appetites. Especially if Tehran indeed receives $300 billion for God knows which virtues.
This means more wars. And wars require partners. Choose them carefully.
Lesia Dubenko is a Kyiv-born journalist and analyst, previously featured in the Financial Times, Politico Europe, Washington Times, New Eastern Europe, and Kyiv Post, with a degree in European Affairs (Lund University). Her work focuses on the Russo-Ukraine war, global politics, propaganda and more.