“They trust Putin”: Zelenskyy says US ignored proof of Russia-Iran military cooperation
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Russia of providing Iran with intelligence used to attack US military bases in the Middle East — and says Washington has failed to act because it trusts Vladimir Putin.
Speaking to The Guardian, Zelenskyy said Russian military satellites photographed critical energy infrastructure in Gulf states and Israel, as well as the locations of US bases across the region, and passed that data to Iran to enable strikes.
“I said this publicly. Did we hear a reaction from the US to Russia that they have to stop it?” Zelenskyy said. He added: “The problem is they trust Putin. And it’s a pity.”
Trump's team and the negotiations
Zelenskyy also weighed in on the trilateral peace process, saying the Trump administration had failed to "really understand the details of what Russia wants." He attributed this to the two US envoys — Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner — having "spent too much time" with Putin and senior Russian officials. The envoys traveled to Moscow five times without visiting Kyiv once, Zelenskyy noted.
He said he understands Putin's psychology and actual military objectives better than the White House does. Putin, according to Zelenskyy, will not stop at taking the Donbas — his next move would be to seize the regional centers of Dnipro and Kharkiv.
Background
On 6 April, Zelenskyy said substantive work with the US on documents being prepared as part of the war negotiations was underway. Head of the Presidential Office Kyrylo Budanov said he expected a possible visit by a US delegation to Kyiv after Easter. US Vice President JD Vance meanwhile said he considered it counterproductive for Ukraine and Russia to haggle over "a few square kilometers."
