Ukraine’s chief rails in opposition to Israel’s refusal to offer its Iron Dome missile defence system, saying the assault on his nation has introduced Moscow and Tehran nearer collectively.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has criticised Israel’s neutrality within the Ukraine battle, saying the choice by its leaders to not help Kyiv with weaponry has inspired Russia’s army partnership with Iran.
Addressing a convention on Monday organised by Israel’s Haaretz newspaper, Zelenskyy repeated his request for Israel’s Iron Dome anti-missile expertise to thwart Russian strikes.
Ukraine’s military is thrashing the Russians on the battlefield, “however sadly we shouldn’t have our personal Iron Dome. We nonetheless shouldn’t have a contemporary and efficient air defence and missile defence system that would safe our skies.” he stated by video hyperlink.
On Monday, Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz advised his Ukrainian counterpart, Oleksiy Reznikov, that “Israel is not going to present weapon programs to Ukraine.”
For the reason that Russian invasion in February, Israel has provided humanitarian help to Ukraine however has held again from offering army tools for concern of harming relations with Russia.
The choice “to not annoy” Russia by serving to Ukraine militarily enabled the partnership between Moscow and Tehran, Zelenskyy stated, with out specifying how precisely.
“This alliance of theirs merely wouldn’t have occurred in case your politicians had made just one resolution on the time,” Zelenskyy stated. “… Plainly it was adopted a very long time in the past – in 2014 when Russia started its aggression in opposition to Ukraine.”
Ukraine’s chief has on a number of events criticised Israel for failing to firmly oppose Russia’s assault on his nation.
Russia and Iran’s nuclear programme?
After exhausting its personal missile shares, Russia went in search of weapons from different nations, Zelenskyy stated.
“It discovered them in Iran. I’ve a query for you: How does Russia pay Iran for this in your opinion? Is Iran simply involved in cash? In all probability not cash in any respect, however Russian help to the Iranian nuclear programme.”
He stated Russia ordered about 2,000 Shahed-136 “kamikaze” drones from Iran, the identical variety Kyiv says Moscow has been utilizing in its current assaults in opposition to Ukraine.
“The disgusting sound of Iranian drones is heard in our skies each night time. Based on our intelligence, Russia ordered about 2,000 Shaheds from Iran,” Zelenskyy stated. “Iranian instructors got here to show Russians use drones [in Ukraine].”
Iran has denied offering Russia with weapons for the battle.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran has in no way equipped any facet with arms for use within the battle in Ukraine, and its coverage is to oppose arming both facet with the purpose of ending the battle,” stated Hossein Amirabdollahian, Iran’s overseas minister.