Russia offered to stop intelligence-sharing with Iran if the US agreed to do the same with Ukraine, according to a report.
Moscow has expanded its intelligence-sharing and military co-operation with Tehran since the US and Israeli strikes against Iran started three weeks ago, including providing co-ordinates for American military assets in the region.
Washington, however, rejected the quid pro quo last week, sources told Politico, after it was presented by Kirill Dmitriev, the Russian envoy, to Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the US envoys, in Miami.
The offer was enough to prompt fears among Kyiv’s allies over Moscow’s ongoing attempts to create further divisions between Europe and the US.
On Friday, Donald Trump, the US president, called Nato countries “cowards” for refusing to send ships to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping artery blockaded because of Iranian attacks.
“So easy for them to do, with so little risk. COWARDS, and we will REMEMBER!” he wrote on Truth Social, in his latest outburst directed at the military alliance.
As transatlantic relations boil, Ukraine is fearful that its fight against Russia has started to slip from view, with the war in Iran dominating the agenda.
Europe is also concerned that no progress is being made toward a peace deal as Russia’s war in Ukraine drags into its fifth year.
Mr Witkoff and Mr Kushner are leading US negotiations with Iran while also being tasked with mediating between Israel and Hamas and Russia and Ukraine.
On Thursday, the Kremlin said the US-mediated talks were “on hold”, without providing a reason. The last time the three parties met was in February in Geneva and talks scheduled earlier this month in Abu Dhabi were postponed.
On Friday, Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, said he would push US officials for a timeline for the next round of negotiations.
“We want clear dates – at least approximate ones. Everyone understands that the situation in the Middle East, the war, is affecting the postponement of this date,” he told reporters.
The Ukrainian president added that he had sent representatives to the US for a meeting this weekend. The White House has not confirmed any talks.
The Iran conflict is likely to have material impacts on the ground in Ukraine. US air defence stocks – which Kyiv desperately needs – are being exhausted defending against waves of Iranian drones and missiles.
Meanwhile, Russia is earning an estimated £112m a day from rising oil prices, which stand to be used to feed its war machine.Advertisementhttps://b7572052c608959a8ab55f953e7d5706.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-45/html/container.html
At the same time, Ukraine is offering to provide expertise to Gulf countries on how to protect their infrastructure from Iranian drones in exchange for air defence missiles.
The latest developments come as Russia’s military appears to be gearing up for a renewed push into parts of the war-battered eastern Donetsk region that remain under Ukraine’s control.
Credit: Yahoo News