Zelenskiy Says Trump Administration Ignored Russia-Iran Cooperation

Zelenskiy Questions Trump’s Trust in Putin

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy accused the US of turning a blind eye to evidence that Russia supported Iran.

In a podcast interview reported by the Guardian on July 8, Zelenskiy said Russia helped Iran when Tehran attacked US military bases in the Middle East. He said Iran was given information from Russian military satellites on US bases and major energy infrastructure in the region.

Zelenskiy said the Trump administration knew about cooperation between Russia and Iran and did little in response. He argued that the administration took that approach because it trusted Russian President Vladimir Putin.

He also criticized envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, who he said were involved in negotiations to end the war in Ukraine. Zelenskiy said Witkoff and Kushner spent too much time with Putin and senior Russian officials. Neither has visited Ukraine, while both traveled to Moscow five times last year.

Zelenskiy also spoke forcefully about talks to end the war in Ukraine. He said Russia would not stop even if it gained the eastern Donbas region and could pursue more territory later. Russia is demanding the whole Donbas region, while Ukraine maintains that there can be no compromise on sovereignty.

He also raised the possibility of a US withdrawal from NATO and said European countries needed to maximize their strength. Zelenskiy added that Europe could not field a military on par with Russia’s without Ukraine and Turkey.

Lee Su, Hankyung.com reporter, 2su@hankyung.com