Another element that highlights how wars in Iran and Ukraine are connected. In an interview for the podcast The Rest Is Politics, Volodymyr Zelensky claims to have appealed to the White House about the tight collaboration between Moscow and Tehran. In vain, according to him. According to the Ukrainian president, the United States did not take into account certain signals, which, however, prove that Russia is helping Iran target American bases in the Middle East. “I said it publicly. Have we heard a reaction from the United States asking Russia to stop?” Zelensky exclaimed. And added: “The problem is that they trust Putin. And that’s a shame.”
Accusations of Russian military aid to Iran
Specifically, Russian military satellites have reportedly photographed critical energy infrastructure in the Gulf countries and in Israel, as well as the location of American military bases in the region. Information that the Kremlin would then have passed on to the Iranian regime, to facilitate its attacks, assures the Ukrainian leader.
However, this did not provoke an American reaction. Donald Trump’s team allegedly did not “really understand the details of what Russia wants”, still according to Volodymyr Zelensky, who believes that Donald Trump’s two negotiators – Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner – spent “too much time” with Putin and his top officials. While the duo visited Moscow five times, they never set foot in Kiev.
“Americans are convinced they can trust Putin,” lamented Volodymyr Zelensky, who criticized the Trump administration’s pressure regarding the transfer of Donbass. “We have to admit that some Americans feel that Donbass means nothing to us,” he said. “They refuse to admit that Putin will lie to them and continue the occupation even after such measures.”
Zelensky criticizes Washington’s naivety towards Moscow
And the Trump-Witkoff-Kushner trio is not the only target of Zelensky’s criticism. The Ukrainian president also criticized the visit of American Vice President J.D. Vance to Hungary this week, as he came to support conservative candidate Viktor Orban, who is close to Vladimir Putin, on the eve of the legislative elections scheduled for this Sunday. A move “counterproductive” according to Volodymyr Zelensky, who emphasized that the election was that of the Hungarian people, period.
Given Washington’s ambiguities towards Moscow, and its threats to withdraw from NATO, the Ukrainian president also called on the EU to create a military bloc encompassing Ukraine, the UK, Turkey, and Norway. “Without Ukraine and Turkey, Europe will not have an army comparable to Russia’s. With Ukraine, Turkey, Norway, and the UK, you will ensure security on all seas, and not just one,” he declared.
At the same time, several American media outlets, including CNN, have revealed that Beijing plans to deliver air defense systems to Tehran “in the coming weeks.” Information denied by the Chinese embassy in Washington, but if confirmed, would mark a new turning point in the ongoing conflict.
