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Iran has become one of Russia’s top military backers since the invasion of Ukraine, according to an intelligence update posted on Twitter by the British Ministry of Defense on Saturday.
Russia’s support for Iran is likely to increase, the ministry said, as “Russia is seeking to acquire more weapons, including hundreds of ballistic missiles. In return, Russia is likely to offer Iran an unprecedented level of military and technical assistance that is transforming their relationship.”
“Russia has spent a large part of its stock of SS-26 Islander short-range ballistic missiles, which carry a 500kg warhead up to 500km,” the ministry said. “If Russia succeeds in bringing a large number of Iranian ballistic missiles into service, it will use them to continue and expand its strike campaign against Ukraine’s critical national infrastructure.”
White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Washington is deeply concerned about the “deepening and growing defense partnership” between Iran and Russia, and that the United States will use its tools to disrupt that relationship.
He said the US government would also invite partner countries to discuss and address the Russia-Iran partnership.
Russia’s war crimes
During an international conference in Kyiv on Friday to protect humanity against crimes of aggression, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said a legal tribunal should hold Russia accountable for its war crimes. He also outlined the 10 points of the Ukrainian peace formula.
“From nuclear security to the restoration of the territorial integrity of our state, from energy security to the return of all prisoners of war and deportees held on the territory of Russia,” he said. “We must return the Ukrainian flag to all cities and communities in Ukraine, we must ensure the real responsibility of the terrorist state for this war, and we must guarantee the safety of all generations of Ukrainians after the end of this war,” he added. .
on Saturday, Financial Times Editor Raula Khalaf said, “Zelensky has come to embody the courage and resilience of these people. That’s why our editorial board chose him as our Person of the Year.”
Time The magazine also chose Zelensky as its Person of the Year.
During a Time magazine event Friday on Notable People and Events of 2022, dedicated to Zelensky and the spirit of Ukraine, the Ukrainian president said it was “an honor to represent the struggle of Ukrainians and the spirit of Ukraine.” He thanked everyone for supporting his country.
Kremlin said TimeThe choice was “Russophobic”.
US aid to Ukraine
US President Joe Biden has authorized a new round of $275 million in military aid for Ukraine, offering new capabilities to defeat drones and boost air defenses, according to a memo released by the White House on Friday.
The package also includes rockets for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launchers made by Lockheed Martin, 80,000 155 mm artillery rounds, Humvee military vehicles and about 150 generators.
This is the 27th use of the president’s drawdown authority for Ukraine, which allows the United States to quickly transfer defense articles and services from the stockpile without congressional approval in response to an emergency.
In total, the United States has committed $20 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the beginning of the Biden administration. Since 2014, the United States has committed approximately $22.1 billion in security assistance to Ukraine and more than $19.3 billion since the start of Russia’s invasion on February 24.
Weapons of Russia
Meanwhile, Russia is expanding and modernizing its nuclear arsenal at a time when Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly suggested he may use nuclear weapons to defend Russia, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Friday.
“As the Kremlin continues its brutal and unprovoked war of choice against Ukraine, the whole world has watched Putin engage in deeply irresponsible nuclear saber-rattling,” Austin said. He made the remarks at a ceremony for the incoming commander of the US Strategic Command, which oversees the US nuclear arsenal.
According to a recent Pentagon policy document on nuclear weapons, Russia has the largest stockpile of nuclear weapons in the world, with about 6,000 warheads, according to experts. Together, Russia and the United States possess about 90% of the world’s nuclear arsenal—enough to destroy the planet several times over.
Putin said on Friday that Russia’s almost complete loss of trust in the West would make it more difficult to reach a final settlement on Ukraine, although contacts between Russian and US intelligence services were at least continuing.
After suffering a series of military setbacks, Putin has increasingly cast his invasion of Ukraine as a fight to defend Russia against an aggressive “collective West.”
VOA White House Bureau Chief Patsy Vidakuswara contributed to this report. Some information for this story came from Reuters.
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