Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized in his evening address on June 19 that Russia is actively engaging in both public and covert activities to support Iran’s nuclear program. The head of state underscored that the actions of the Kremlin can be seen as an attempt to save Iran’s nuclear potential, which poses risks to international security.
This is reported by Kyiv24
“The only thing that Putin and his Russia truly excel at is killing and destroying. And this is precisely the area that unites Russia with regimes like those currently in Iran or North Korea. Right now, Russia is trying to save the Iranian nuclear program – otherwise, their public signals and covert activities cannot be interpreted,” said the head of the Ukrainian state, adding that “aggressive regimes must not be allowed to unite and become partners.”
US Position on Possible Actions Against Iran
On the same day, White House spokesperson Caroline Levitt announced that US President Donald Trump will make a decision regarding possible strikes against Iran within the next two weeks. According to her, the consideration of this issue is linked to the likelihood of negotiations with the Iranian side, which may take place soon.
It is noted that Donald Trump has previously mentioned a two-week timeframe for making key decisions. In particular, on May 28, he stated that within two weeks it would become clear whether Russian President Vladimir Putin intends to end the war against Ukraine. According to estimates, the deadline mentioned by Trump in this statement expired on June 12.
Escalation Between Israel and Iran
On June 13, Israeli military forces began bombing Iranian territory. The operation targets sites related to Iran’s nuclear program, buildings of security forces, as well as nuclear scientists and high-ranking military officials. According to official information, the attacks resulted in 224 casualties, most of whom, according to Iranian authorities, are civilians. It is currently impossible to verify these figures through independent sources.
It is worth reminding that throughout 2024, Iran has launched massive missile strikes against Israeli territory twice – on April 13 and October 1. Following June 13, Iranian forces also carried out several missile strikes, resulting in, according to the latest data, 25 fatalities and around 600 injuries.