Russian President Vladimir Putin will not defend if the United States launches military action against the country.
Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko disclosed this, a rise in tensions over Iran’s nuclear program. The development comes after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent call for a “Libyan-style” solution targeting Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei.
On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump announced at a meeting between the White House and Netanyahu that direct negotiations between Washington and Tehran will begin Saturday. He warned that diplomatic failures would put Iran in a “huge danger” and reiterated that Iran “cannot possess nuclear weapons.”
While acknowledging the serious consequences of the war, Ludenko clarified that despite the country’s close military ties, Russia had no obligation to defend Tehran when the U.S. attacked.
In January, Iran’s President Putin and Masoud Pezeshkian signed a strategic partnership agreement to strengthen military and political cooperation.
However, Ludenko stressed that the agreement does not constitute a military alliance.
“I believe that if there is a conflict between Iran and the United States, our goal is to avoid any cost of the catastrophic consequences for the region, and Russia does not want to fall into another conflict,” Rudanko told Duma on Tuesday.
He added: “However, there is such a possibility and I am confident that our government will take all the necessary actions. If this happens, Russia is not obliged to provide military assistance.”
Rudenko’s speech is ahead of high-level indirect negotiations between the United States and Iran and will be held in Oman on Saturday.
