In an interview with the American TV channel Newsmax, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized that Russia has consistently supported Iran.

“Will the Russians help Iran? I think they always have. The question is whether they will openly support Iran,” Zelenskyy said.

He stressed that everything depends on a strong US position, backed by European support. Without it, Russia will understand that it can openly assist Iran, triggering a new wave of conflict in the Middle East.

The Ukrainian president also highlighted that a strong stance by Donald Trump could stop Russia’s plans to seize Ukraine.

“Trump can stop him. For that, Putin must lose money. Only then will he be unable to increase spending on his army,” he emphasized.

He added that tough sanctions are necessary.

“He is the president of the US. He must influence any aggressor in the world. Undoubtedly, Putin is one of the most dangerous,” the Ukrainian leader concluded.

Earlier, the US attempted to block European efforts to cut the G7 price cap on Russian oil from $60 to $45 per barrel, frustrating EU and UK attempts to ramp up pressure on Moscow’s war financing. 

On 26 May, EU Commissioner for Defense and Space Andrius Kubilius urged the United States to fully commit to strengthening Ukraine, stating that the widely supported “peace through strength” principle—supported by both American and European leaders—requires reinforcing Ukraine.

Ukrinform reports that Kubilius said, speaking to journalists in the Italian parliament:

“For me personally, it is very clear that Putin does not want a ceasefire, he does not want peace. It is likely that the US administration has also begun to understand that Putin wants to continue the war because he feels like a winner in it. The ‘peace through strength’ formula, which has been supported by the US administration and Europeans, requires, first and foremost, the strengthening of Ukraine.”

Kubilius emphasized that if the US truly embraces peace through strength then the first step must be reinforcing Ukraine’s military capacity.

He noted that Ukrainians are already using every available resource to defend themselves against Russian aggression and can only gain additional power from their partners, particularly the European Union and the United States.

“I would like to see the American administration also begin to understand that additional strength for Ukraine is the most effective way to achieve peace,” Kubilius added, according to Ukrinform.