President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russia is helping the Iranian regime and warned that escalating tensions in the Middle East could affect international support for Ukraine.
According to Zelenskyy, Ukraine is aware of certain assistance Russia has already provided to Iran, although the scale of that cooperation remains unclear.
“Russia is helping the Iranian regime. We understand what has already been provided, although we do not know the volumes of what they are ready to transfer. The good thing is that the Iranian regime is not supplying Russia with missiles and some other types of weapons used for attacks against Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said.
He noted that international attention is now increasingly shifting toward developments in the Middle East.
“I hope the war will not be long — not only because I am concerned about Ukraine, but also because any losses are a tragedy. However, we do not see progress in peace negotiations. If a sustainable peace or ceasefire is not achieved in the first days of the conflict, there is a significant risk that it will continue,” the president said.
According to Zelenskyy, a prolonged conflict in the Middle East could also influence the situation in Ukraine.
“Less attention means less support. Less support means fewer air defense systems,” he added.
The president also said that Ukraine has received signals about possible assistance to civilians in the Middle East and to US troops stationed in several countries in the region.
“We responded: ‘We will send experts and provide everything necessary for their protection,’” Zelenskyy said.
According to him, Ukrainian experts may travel to the region soon, after which further cooperation will be discussed based on the results of their meetings.