Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned that Russia’s alignment with Iran, including its public defense of Tehran’s government and nuclear ambitions, highlights the urgent need for tougher global sanctions against Moscow.
Russia’s all-out war in Ukraine is now in its fourth year. This year, Moscow signed a strategic partnership with Tehran, condemned Israeli strikes on Iran, and positioned itself as a mediator in the Iran-Israel conflict. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump hesitates to greenlight Senate-drafted sanctions on Russia. He keeps pushing for a Russia-Ukraine peace deal, while Moscow rejects ceasefire calls and steps up its attacks.
Zelenskyy links Russia-Iran ties to global inaction
In his evening video address on 19 June, Zelenskyy described the aftermath of a recent Russian deadly missile strike that destroyed a residential apartment block’s section in Kyiv.
“The missile went through every floor, all the way down to the basement,” he said, adding that 23 civilians were killed and rescue operations lasted nearly 40 hours.
In total, Russia’s 17 June air attack, referred to by Zelenskyy, killed 30 people died and injured 172 across Ukraine.
“Deliberate terror”
Zelenskyy emphasized that the strike had no military objective and called it “deliberate terror.” He linked this kind of violence to previous Russia’s aggression in places like Chechnya and Syria.
“The same thing Russia’s army under Putin has done everywhere, from Chechnya to Syria. This is the only thing Putin and his Russia truly know how to do well – kill and destroy,” he said.
The Ukrainian President denounced not just the attack, but what he described as Moscow’s growing alignment with aggressive regimes like Iran and North Korea.
Russia’s alliances with Iran and North Korea draw fire
Zelenskyy accused Moscow of trying to “save Iran’s nuclear program,” claiming there could be “no other possible explanation” for recent Russian actions and statements. He argued that when one of Russia’s partners loses the ability to “export war,” Moscow suffers and intervenes. He condemned this behavior as “cynicism at its worst” and warned that “aggressive regimes must not be allowed to unite and become partners.”
He cited the use of Iranian-designed Shahed drones and North Korean missiles as evidence of Russia’s reliance on authoritarian allies.
“It is a clear sign that global solidarity and global pressure are not strong enough,” Zelenskyy said.
Call for stronger international response
The Ukrainian leader called for significantly tougher sanctions on Moscow and increased cooperation, particularly in technology, among countries “defending life.”
He referred to recent agreements at the G7 summit in Canada and upcoming discussions within the “Coalition of the Willing” as avenues to deepen such collaboration.