Middle East Conflict: Russia And Iran 'Are Brothers In Hatred' Long War Benefits Putin, Says Zelenskyy

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Nearly three weeks ago, the United States and Israel launched an attack on Iran, targeting its military and naval forces and killing some of its top leaders in the process, including the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The conflict prompted Tehran to retaliate. While many continue to speculate who would emerge as the winner, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as of now, the winner seems to be his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin.

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In an interview with the BBC, Zelenskyy said that with the US' war in Iran, Kyiv is likely to face a shortage of missiles it is using to fight Russia. Zelenskyy said Putin wanted a "long war" between the US, Israel and Iran, a conflict that would weaken Kyiv, since the US resources are being deployed elsewhere.

Zelenskyy on US-Iran conflict

The Ukrainian President commented on the ongoing US-Iran war, adding that he had a "very bad feeling" regarding the impact of the conflict on the ongoing war in Kyiv. He noted that talks to obtain peace and a truce are being consistently postponed. And the reason is: war in Iran.

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According to Zelenskyy, the situation in the Middle East is benefiting the Russian President, because Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) shut the Strait of Hormuz, pushing the energy prices higher. The spike in energy prices is a problem for Ukraine, as there could be a dearth of missiles.

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The Ukrainian President also said that a long war in Iran is an advantage for Putin, since, in addition to energy prices, it would also deplete US resources and the air defence manufacturers, which, indirectly, has caused a depletion of resources for the Ukrainians.

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Zelenskyy also pointed out that soon, there could be a dearth of Patriot missiles, which could be a huge challenge, adding that the question now was "when will all the stockpiles in the Middle East be exhausted".

The US, according to him, manufactures roughly 60-65 missiles a month, which would mean 700-800 missiles are produced every year. He added that on the first day of war in the Middle East, 803 missiles were used.

Trump's not on any side in Russia-Ukraine war: Zelenskyy

Commenting on US President Donald Trump 's stance on the Russia-Ukraine war, Zelenskyy said that the US President was not on "any side," but noted that he did not want to "irritate" Putin. He added that Trump wanted to be a negotiator in the war between Russia and Ukraine rather than take any side.

The Ukrainian president also said he thought the US President "wants to finish this war," but added that his advisers have chosen a strategy of close dialogue with Putin, and "not to irritate him because Europe irritated him and Putin does not want to talk to Europe".

Zelenskyy seeks support across Europe

Zelenskyy on Tuesday (local time) was welcomed by the UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to Downing Street, the latest stop on the Ukrainian President's tour of European capital cities. On Wednesday, Zelenskyy travels to Madrid. Last week, he visited Paris.

Addressing MPs in the UK Parliament, Zelenskyy said that regimes in Iran and Russia are brothers in hatred; hence, they are brothers in weapons. He added that the Ukrainian government don't want regimes built on hatred to never win in anything.

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