United States accuses Iran aiding Russia

The White House on Thursday accused Iran for supporting Russia in attacks on Ukraine with Iranian drones launched from Crimean Peninsula with on the ground assistance from military trainers.

National Security spokesperson John Kirby raised concern that Russia will seek to acquire advanced conventional weapons from Tehran as it faces military supply shortages under pressure from Western sanctions. 

“We can confirm that Russia’s military personnel that are based in Crimea have been piloting Iranian UAVs [unmanned aerial vehicles], using these to conduct strikes across Ukraine, including strikes against Kyiv in just recent days. We assess that Iranian military personnel on the ground in Crimea assisted Russia in these operations,” Kirby said.

“There’s extensive proof of their use by Russia against both military and civilian targets in Ukraine, yet both Iran and Russia continue to lie about it,” he added. 

Kirby said that the US cannot offer exact numbers on how many Iranians are in Crimea, adding that it’s a relatively small number but that they are providing tech support while the Russians pilot the UAVs for attacks. 

“Russia has received dozens of UAVs so far, and will likely continue to receive additional shipments in the future,” he said.

He added that the administration is exploring new sanctions and that the Department of Defense is looking actively at potential air defense solutions for the Ukrainians.

Russian attacks with Iranian kamikaze drones have terrorized Ukraine over the past two weeks, with civilian casualties and infrastructure, including residential buildings, energy and water supplies, destroyed by the explosive-laden drones.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has pleaded for supporting countries to send more air defense systems immediately.

The US and NATO said they are working to quickly send more air defenses and anti-drone technology to Ukraine, while other air defense systems from Spain and Germany are said to have recently arrived.

Ukrainians have pleaded for more, in particular to Israel for its Iron Dome missile defense system, which is considered one of the most successful air defense systems at targeting indiscriminate fire. 

Israel has rejected sharing the Iron Dome a decision that Kirby said was their sovereign right. 

He said the Pentagon is looking hard at what what’s in the realm of the possible, for air defenses for Ukraine, including, as I said earlier, what could be possible from allies and partners.

 

Putin’s Most Difficult Demands

According to The Epoch Times, Russian President, Vladimir Putin has laid out several demands for Ukraine including two ‘most difficult issues’ during a phone call with Turkish President, Tayyip Erdogan.

The demands can be divided into two parts; Turkish presidential spokesperson Ibrahim Kalin told several media outlets. 

The first four articles appear to be possible common ground for both sides.

“Basically, there are six topics:

The first is Ukraine’s neutrality, that is, its withdrawal from NATO membership.

Second, disarmament and mutual security guarantees in the context of the Austrian model.

Third, is the process that the Russian side refers to as ‘de-Nazification.’

Fourth, removing obstacles to the widespread use of Russian in Ukraine,

Some progress has been made in the above four topics. However, it’s too early to say there is potentially a full agreement that could be reached because there are two other “most difficult issues.”

Putin put forward two territory-related demands.

Putin would require Ukraine to recognize Russia’s annexation of Crimea, and admit the independence of the Donbas, a disputed region in southeastern Ukraine.

Putin recognized the independence of Donetsk People’s Republic and Luhansk People’s Republic, two separatist territories in the Donbas, days before he ordered a full invasion of Ukraine.

Putin reportedly told Erdogan he would hold talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky personally about the territory-related issues if the two sides reached common ground on the first four areas.

The Epoch Times reached out to the Ukrainian government and the Russian government for comments.

Zelensky has been asking Putin to talk with him directly after the war broke out. He proposed again on Saturday that the disputes between Russia and Ukraine be solved through meaningful talks.

“Negotiations on peace, on security for us, for Ukraine—meaningful, fair, and without delay—are the only chance for Russia to reduce the damage from its own mistakes,” he said in a statement.

He also warned that the war would cause huge losses to Russia if the two sides don’t reach a timely end to the war.

“Otherwise, Russia’s losses will be so huge that several generations will not be enough to rebound,” he said.

Putin ordered a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, after the efforts to deter war failed.

The United Nations said that, as of March 19, they had recorded 847 deaths and 1,399 injuries of civilians in Ukraine because of Russia’s military action against Ukraine, mostly caused by shelling and airstrikes.

However, the U.N. believes that the actual figures are considerably higher.

Over 3.3 million people have fled Ukraine since the war began, United Nations data show.

 

British-Russian Naval Confrontation

A Minister said that Britain was prepared to sail naval vessels through disputed waters near Crimea again, a day after a confrontation between a British warship and Russian forces in the Black Sea.

Environment Secretary George Eustice disputed claims from Moscow that Russian warplanes dropped bombs and a patrol boat fired warning shots at a British destroyer it claims entered into its territorial waters in the Black Sea.

"This is a very normal thing," Eustice told Sky News. "It's quite common, actually, what was actually going on is the Russians were doing a gunnery exercise and given prior notice of that, they often do in that area. So I think it's important that we don't get carried away."

Russia said HMS Defender went three kilometers inside its territory off Cape Fiolent in Crimea, just before noon on Wednesday. A nation's territorial waters extend 12 nautical miles from its coastline; any foreign warship going past that limit would need permission of the country to do so, with a few exceptions.

Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine after a military intervention in the region in 2014. The international community opposed that annexation, and still considers Crimea as Ukrainian territory.

Eustice insisted the vessel was making a legal passage under international law to Georgia via Ukraine. Asked if the UK would sail through disputed Ukrainian waters again, he replied: "Yes ... because we never accepted the annexation of Crimea."

On Thursday, Kremlin officials accused the UK of a "deliberate, planned provocation" and said it had the right to "bomb on target" when foreign ships violate its sea borders.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on a conference call with journalists that Russia is "obviously concerned about such actions of the British ship."

"What can we do? We can appeal to common sense, demand respect for international law. If this does not help, we can bomb not only in the direction, but also on target, if our colleagues do not understand," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said, according to Russian state media TASS.

On Thursday, British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab described Moscow's version of Wednesday's incident as "predictably inaccurate," saying "no shots were fired at HMS Defender."

A BBC reporter on the ship said he witnessed Russian warplanes and naval vessels buzzing the destroyer during the flare-up on Wednesday.

Shortly after the British ship crossed the territorial boundary, an Su-24M attack jet dropped bombs and a coastal patrol ship fired warning shots in front of the British destroyer, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a report.

The UK Defense Ministry had previously denied Moscow's accusation, saying that its ship was making a legal and innocent passage.

The UK ambassador to Moscow was due to visit the Russian Foreign Ministry Thursday after being summoned over the incident, spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on state TV. On Wednesday, Zakharova accused the UK of spreading lies about the incident.

"So, who's lying: the British Defense Ministry, the British BBC reporter or the British Embassy in Moscow? There is an answer. This time -- the British Defense Ministry and the British Embassy ... London has lost its manners. I advise the British partners to knock if they want to 'peacefully enter' next time," Zakharova wrote on Telegram.