Russia sought to blackmail US using intelligence to Iran, Zelenskiy says
KYIV, March 25 (Reuters) – Russia is trying to blackmail the United States by offering to stop sharing military intelligence with Iran, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Wednesday, in exchange for Washington removing Ukraine from its intelligence data.
Zelenskiy, who said on Monday that Ukraine’s military intelligence had “irrefutable” evidence that Russia continues to provide intelligence to Iran, told Reuters he had seen the data but did not provide further details.
Speaking at the presidential building in Kiev, Zelenskiy said that some Iranian drones used to attack US military assets and allies during the war in the Middle East contained Russian components.
“I have received reports from our intelligence services that Russia is doing this and saying: ‘If America stops passing intelligence to Ukraine, I will not pass intelligence to Iran.’ Isn’t this blackmail? Absolutely,” Zelenskyy said.
He did not say to whom Russia directed the comments, according to reports. Russia has denied aiding Iran in its month-long conflict with the United States and Israel; It was a denial earlier this month when Washington said it had received information directly from Moscow when the issue was discussed.
The president said Ukraine, which has faced constant attacks from Iranian-designed Shahid drones since Russia launched its invasion in 2022, is helping several Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, counter drone attacks on their territory.
Zelenskiy said he hoped Ukraine could reach long-term agreements with some Gulf countries that would “raise funds for the production of Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles or acquire much-needed air defense missiles.”
(Reporting by Olena Harmash and Daniel Flynn; editing by Philippa Fletcher)
