Zelensky says Gaza war furthers Russian aims amid aid concerns
Highlights ties between Tehran, and Moscow
KYIV — President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine has accused Russia of wanting to precipitate conflict in the Middle East to undermine international support for Ukraine, in comments that reflect concern that the war between Israel and the militant group Hamas could distract attention from Kyiv’s fight.
In remarks released on social media on Monday night, Zelensky, who has repeatedly expressed support for Israel, also appeared to seek to rally support for his country at a time when Ukraine is facing stiff Russian resistance on the battlefield amid signs of wavering support among a few of its allies.
Some Republican members of the US Congress have argued against continued support for the government in Kyiv, while Slovakia recently elected a political party that expressed support for Russia during its campaign. At the same time, Poland’s objections to the movement of Ukraine’s agricultural exports through its territory have cooled the relationship between the two allies.
“Russia is interested in triggering a war in the Middle East, so that a new source of pain and suffering could undermine world unity, increase discord and contradictions, and thus help Russia destroy freedom in Europe,” Zelensky said in the speech released overnight. Russia on Monday expressed concern about events in Israel but its response has been muted.
Zelensky, who was in Bucharest on Tuesday for talks with President Klaus Iohannis of neighboring Romania, said Russia aimed to sow division and the war being fought in Gaza and Israel served that aim.
Zelensky also drew a line between Russia and Iran, both of which, he said, supported Hamas. “We see Russian propagandists gloating,” he said. “We see Moscow’s Iranian friends openly supporting those who attacked Israel.”
The government in Tehran has denied involvement in the attack by Hamas. Iran has supplied Russia with exploding drones, hundreds of which have been launched at Ukraine in deadly attacks against military and civilian targets.
In the latest example, Ukraine’s air force said on Tuesday that it had shot down 27 drones over southern Ukraine overnight that had been launched from Crimea, a region annexed by Russia in 2014. But nine other drones got through, it said in a statement on the Telegram messaging app without detailing what was hit.
More than 19 months into Russia’s full-scale invasion, the conflict in Israel and Gaza has shifted international attention from Ukraine at a delicate moment. A Ukrainian counteroffensive, begun in June to reclaim territory in the south and east, has registered only limited gains.
That relative lack of progress, which comes despite tens of billions of dollars of military aid funneled to Ukraine by its allies, reflects a broader stasis on the front line this year despite heavy fighting and substantial casualties on both sides.