Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called Russia and Iran “brothers in hatred” on Tuesday as he sought support from British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at a time when the Iran crisis has derailed US-brokered talks to end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
During the conversation with Starmer in 10 Downing Street, Zelensky asked Ukraine’s allies not to forget about his country and suggested that the United States and others should use Ukraine’s anti-drone technology during the Middle East war, which has also revived Russia’s developing economy through increased oil revenues and may soon prevent Kyiv’s access to important Western air defense systems, which are needed in the Middle East.
Russia has been expanding its intelligence and military cooperation with Iran, providing satellite imagery and advanced drone technology to help Tehran target U.S. forces in the region, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter. Reuters could not immediately confirm the report.
“The regimes in Russia and Iran are brothers in hatred and that is why they are brothers in arms,” Zelensky told MPs in the British Parliament. “And we want governments built on hatred to never, ever win in anything.”
“(Russian President Vladimir) Putin cannot be the beneficiary of the Iran crisis, whether that’s oil prices or sanctions relief,” Starmer said.
The meeting has come a few days after the United States temporarily removed some of Russia’s oil sanctions in an effort to reduce pressure on global oil supplies caused by the unrest in the Middle East, which was fueled by the joint attacks of the United States and Israel against Iran starting on February 28.
