WAIT, WHAT?!

Iran refuses to recognize Ukraine’s Crimea, Donbas as Russian territories

Thu, January 19, 2023 

Hossein Amir Abdollahian

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“We recognize the sovereignty and territorial integrity within the framework of international law, and for this reason, despite excellent relations between Tehran and Moscow, we have not recognized the separation of Crimea from Ukraine,” he said.

“We have not recognized the separation of Luhansk and Donetsk from Ukraine because we insist on our consistent principle in foreign policy.”

At the same time, he stressed that Russia’s war against Ukraine is a “difficult situation” caused by “provocations from NATO and Western countries.”

Earlier Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, who is thought to be one of the staunchest allies of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, said that Crimea and Donbas are Ukrainian territories and denounced Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Read also: Increased Russian suicide drone activity may point to arrival of new batch of flying bombs from Iran – ISW

The president added that he hadn’t spoken with Putin for “many months.”

Russia received hundreds of suicide drones from Iran. An Iranian state-run media source claimed on Dec. 28 that Iran will soon receive 24 Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets from Russia likely in exchange for Iranian-made drones and ballistic missiles.

Read also: Iranian drones, though small, do great damage to Ukraine’s energy infrastructure — DTEK

Secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) Oleksiy Danilov said on Jan. 13 that Moscow is currently in talks with Tehran about exchanging nuclear technology for Iranian weapons.

“Allowing these processes to go on poses a major threat to the world,” he said.

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine