Ukraine hopes Israel-Iran crisis won't decrease military aid
KYIV: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he hoped the escalation between Israel and Iran would not result in a drop in military aid to Kyiv, according to remarks published on Saturday (Jun 14).
"We would like to see aid to Ukraine not decrease because of this," he said. "Last time, this was a factor that slowed down aid to Ukraine."
Israel unleashed large-scale attacks on Iran on Friday, targeting nuclear and military facilities as well as high-ranking generals and atomic scientists, sparking international calls for restraint as fears of broader conflict grow.
The attack on Iran sparked a rise in oil prices, which Zelenskyy said would benefit Russia.
"The attacks led to a sharp rise in oil prices. This is bad for us," he added, reiterating a call to introduce price caps on Russian oil exports.
He added that hoped to raise the issue of price caps at a potential meeting with the US President Donald Trump in the near future.
However, the Israeli strikes might be favourable for Kyiv as well, if they lead to a reduction of military equipment supplies from Tehran to Moscow, which has relied heavily on Iranian-made attack drones.
The Ukrainian leader also warned that Europe's support was stalling without Washington's engagement, as "Europe has not yet decided for itself what it will do with Ukraine if America is not there".
He also urged the United States to "shift tone" in its dialogue with Russia, warning that it was "too warm" now and that this would not help to end the war.
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