Moscow announces the withdrawal of its forces from the Kherson region, Kyiv wary

“Iran supports any initiative leading to a ceasefire and peace between Russia and Ukraine based on dialogue, and it is ready to play a role in ending the war,” Ali Shamkhani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, said on Wednesday during a visit to Tehran by his Russian counterpart, Nikolai Patrushev.

Russia and Iran, facing increasing isolation due to Western sanctions, are trying to tighten their ties. kyiv and its Western allies also accuse Moscow of having used Iranian drones to bomb civilian infrastructure, including power plants. Tehran admitted for the first time on Saturday that it had supplied it to Russia, but before the February 24 invasion.

According to the press service of the Russian Security Council, MM. Patrushev and Shamkhani “discussed in detail bilateral cooperation in the field of law enforcement, including public security and the fight against terrorism and extremism. In addition, they discussed measures to deal with the interference of Western special services in the internal affairs of the two countries”. On the other hand, “an exchange of views also took place on a whole series of international problems, in particular the situation in Ukraine and the Middle East”he adds.

According to Mykhaïlo Podoliak, adviser to the Ukrainian presidency who speaks on Twitter, “The Kremlin is exhausted. Russia’s resources are close to the limit (…) Mr. Patrushev is looking to Tehran for a way to continue the war, to obtain missiles/drones, to remedy its lack of missiles. Now is the perfect time to double aid to Ukraine.”

Nikolai Patrushev, Secretary of the Russian Security Council, held talks in Tehran on Wednesday with his Iranian counterpart, Ali Shamkhani, about the situation in Ukraine, security cooperation and the fight against “Western interference” in their internal affairs, reports the agency TASS. “The economic potential of developing trade relations between Russia and Iran in the face of Western sanctions pressure was also highlighted”adds the agency, without further details, citing a report from the press service of the Russian Security Council.