Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the killing of Ali Khamenei violated international law. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy supported the operation against the Iranian regime. He offered to share Ukraine’s defense experience if needed.
Putin’s statement
Russian President Vladimir Putin called the killing of Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei a “cynical violation of all norms of human morality and international law.” In recent years, Russia has maintained deepened military and strategic ties with Iran.
The Kremlin press service reported Putin’s statement. The Russian president expressed condolences to his Iranian counterpart, Masoud Pezeshkian. He also addressed them to “the entire people of Iran.”
“In our country, Ayatollah Khamenei will be remembered as an outstanding statesman who made a huge personal contribution to the development of friendly Russian-Iranian relations and brought them to the level of a comprehensive strategic partnership,” the Kremlin press service quoted Putin as saying.
Experts from the Institute for the Study of War noted that Russia’s reaction to the military actions in Iran highlights its limited resources. This appears in the ISW report for March 1. After the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, the Kremlin has only expressed condolences and condemnation. It has not offered Iran any additional support. At the same time, the report notes that Putin did not mention the United States or Israel, whose airstrikes killed Khamenei and several other senior Iranian officials.
“Russia’s boilerplate responses continue to highlight the limits of Russia’s ability to support Iran and the asymmetry of the Russian-Iranian relationship. The Kremlin will likely remain constrained by its own war effort in Ukraine and its desire to extract concessions from the United States without sacrificing its goals in Ukraine,” the experts said.
Zelenskyy’s statement
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on March 1 that Ukraine is ready to share its military experience amid the escalation in the Middle East. He referred to intercepting drones and other aerial targets.
“Everyone can now see that Ukraine’s experience in defense is, in many respects, irreplaceable. We are ready to share this experience and help those nations that helped Ukraine this winter and throughout this war,” Zelenskyy said.
He stressed that even Gulf countries with higher-quality air defense systems than Ukraine still fail to intercept all ballistic missiles. Air defense systems also do not always shoot down “Shahed” drones. Zelenskyy said there is now a chance for change in Iran, and it is important to use it properly. According to him, much depends on American determination. He compared the Iranian regime to the Russian one and noted that Iran provided Russia with “Shahed” drones and the technology to produce them.
“Russia must end its war against Ukraine, end it in a dignified way – diplomacy can ensure this. The world is giving Russia an opportunity for diplomacy – they should use it,” Zelenskyy said.
Earlier, The Ukrainian Review reported on the death of Iranian leader Ali Khamenei. He died on February 28 as a result of a joint air operation by the United States and Israel against Iran. At first, Iran denied this fact.
