Zelenskyy says US is letting Russia’s involvement with Iran slide because it ‘trusts’ Putin, and the connection goes even deeper

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently claimed that the United States is actively ignoring compelling evidence that Russia has been helping Iran target US bases in the Middle East, all because Washington “trusts” Vladimir Putin, The Guardian reported. This is a pretty significant accusation, and it suggests a real blind spot in how the US is perceiving the deepening ties between Moscow and Tehran.

Zelenskyy explained that he’s tried to bring the White House’s attention to this close collaboration. According to Zelenskyy, Russian military satellites have been busy photographing critical energy infrastructure objects across the Gulf states and in Israel. Not only that, but they’ve also snapped pictures of US army base locations throughout the region. The really concerning part is that the Kremlin then allegedly passed these detailed images and information directly to the Iranian regime, explicitly to help facilitate their attacks.

Russian intelligence has reportedly provided Iran with an incredibly detailed list of 55 critical energy infrastructure targets within Israel. This information, which comes from sources close to Ukrainian intelligence, really underscores the growing military and intelligence cooperation between Russia and Iran. It’s designed to enable Iran to launch precision missile strikes against Israel’s energy grid.

Zelenskyy had some strong opinions about President Trump’s team, suggesting they’ve failed to “really understand the details of what Russia wants”

The targeted sites are meticulously categorized based on their strategic importance. We’re talking about Level 1 targets, which are critical production facilities whose destruction would absolutely cripple the national energy system. The Orot Rabin power station, for example, is named as a primary target in this category. Then there are Level 2 targets, which include major urban and industrial energy hubs, mostly found in central Israel, serving huge population centers. Finally, Level 3 targets are local infrastructure, like regional substations that support industrial zones and smaller power plants.

The Russian assessment of Israel’s vulnerability is particularly chilling. They’ve noted that Israel’s power grid is highly isolated, unlike many European nations that import electricity from their neighbors. Because Israel is essentially an “energy island,” Russian intelligence reportedly told Iran that damaging even a few central components could trigger a total and prolonged energy collapse, leading to widespread blackouts and technical failures that wouldn’t be easy to fix.

When Zelenskyy brought these details to light, he asked publicly, “Did we hear a reaction from the US to Russia that they have to stop it?” He then added, quite pointedly, “The problem is they trust Putin. And it’s a pity.”

He also had some strong opinions about President Trump’s team, suggesting they’ve failed to “really understand the details of what Russia wants.” When pressed on why this might be, Zelenskyy specifically named President Trump’s two negotiators, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, claiming they’ve “spent too much time” with Putin and his senior officials. He pointed out that these two traveled to Moscow five times last year but have yet to visit Kyiv.

Adding to the complexity, President Trump’s administration has been putting a lot of pressure on Ukraine to cede its eastern Donbas region, an area that’s seen intense fighting. Putin himself has even suggested he’d agree to a ceasefire if Ukraine gave up this territory.

But Zelenskyy, who believes he has a much deeper understanding of Putin’s psychology and actual war aims, warns that this would be a catastrophic mistake. He’s convinced Putin wouldn’t stop at Donbas and would next try to seize the regional capitals of Dnipro and Kharkiv. “We have to recognise that partially Americans are feeling that [Donbas is] nothing for us,” Zelenskyy said, reflecting on what he sees as a dangerous underestimation. “They don’t want to recognise that Putin will lie to them and that he can continue the occupation even after such steps. The Americans are sure that they can trust Putin.”

Zelenskyy has been increasingly vocal about this growing Russia-Iran alliance, warning that the “knowledge” Russia has gained on the battlefields of Ukraine is now being exported directly to the Middle East. He pointed out that Russia helped Iran just as Iran helped Russia at the beginning of the war by providing Shahed drones. Russia gained significant battlefield experience, and that’s now impacting and will continue to impact other regions.