Two US senators from both parties have given different assessments of the impact of the US military operation against Iran on support for Ukraine. Democrat Richard Blumenthal believes that the war will reduce the resources available to Kyiv, while Republican John F. Kennedy hopes that it will push Putin to negotiate.
The senators spoke about this in exclusive comments to Suspilny.
Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal said that, in his opinion, a war with Iran would reduce the resources available to Ukraine.
“Air defense systems and other weapons will be less available to Ukraine because they will be directed to Israel, our ally,” Blumenthal said.
According to him, this conflict is “a great gift for Putin” because it distracts American attention and resources from Ukraine. Blumenthal also called the narrative of Russia's victory false. “Ukraine can win if we provide the necessary assistance,” the senator added.
Republican Senator John Kennedy, however, expressed the opposite view. He hopes that Putin is monitoring the situation and that the strikes on Iran will have positive consequences — in particular, push Russia to negotiate.
Israeli and US military operation against Iran
On February 28, Israel attacked the Iranian capital, Tehran. US President Donald Trump later said that the US military had launched a “major combat operation” against Iran to “eliminate the imminent threat posed by the Iranian regime”. He accused the Iranian regime of “funding and training” militants in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Hamas in Palestine. According to him, the aim of the military operation was to “destroy Iran's missile industry and navy” and “ensure that it cannot destabilise the world”.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it had launched missiles and drones towards Israel, and also attacked US military bases in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Amid the US military operation against Iran, French President Emmanuel Macron said that Paris is calling for an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council.
The European Union said it reaffirmed its “unwavering commitment to ensuring regional security and stability” in the Middle East.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said it was fair to give the Iranians a chance to get rid of “the terrorist regime and guarantee the security of all peoples who have suffered from attacks from Iran.”
On February 28, Trump tweeted that Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was dead. The information was later confirmed by the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).
On March 1, the IRGC announced that it was launching “the most devastating offensive operation in the history of the Islamic Republic” against Israel and “American terrorist bases.” Trump called on the Iranian regime to abandon these plans and threatened to strike “a very strong blow” in response.