Ukrainian president seeks support in London as global situation changes
Volodymyr Zelenskyy does not mince words. During his visit to London, he described the regimes of Russia and Iran as “brothers in hate” and, therefore, “brothers in arms.” The message in the British Parliament was clear: they cannot win.
“The regimes in Russia and Iran are brothers in hate and that is why they are brothers in arms,” he declared. “And we want regimes built on hate to never, ever win anything.”
But his journey has an urgent undercurrent. The war between Israel and Iran has changed the rules of the game for Ukraine. Suddenly, there is a new conflict stealing headlines, resources and, most worryingly for kyiv, vital air defense systems that could be diverted to the Middle East.
A Russian economy that is reactivated with oil
Here is the masterstroke for Moscow. As the West focuses on another front, Russian oil revenues are rebounding. The United States temporarily suspended some sanctions on Russian crude oil to ease global pressure. A decision that Zelenskyy and other European leaders harshly criticized.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer acknowledged this in his conversations with Zelenskyy:
“Putin cannot be the one who benefits from the conflict in Iran, whether due to oil prices or the removal of sanctions.”
Finnish President Alexander Stubb was more graphic: “The Russian economy was actually stumbling quite a bit a couple of weeks ago. Now it’s rebounding.” The reason is simple: the price of oil once again fuels Putin’s war machine.
Zelenskyy didn’t just talk to politicians. He met with King Charles III and then took his message to dozens of parliamentarians. There he made an offer: the considerable Ukrainian technology in drones and artificial intelligence is available to its allies.
“The fact that we have overcome this winter, which Russia tried to make deadly for all our families, shows that our solutions work,” he said.
In Brussels, the head of European diplomacy Kaja Kallas tried to reassure: Ukraine “remains Europe’s top security priority.” But words ring hollow when the facts show a diversion of attention and resources.
Zelenskyy’s visit is a cry from London. A reminder that even if there are new fires, the original fire continues to burn. And now it has a new and dangerous fuel: cheap oil for Moscow.
