“They trust Putin”: Zelensky stated that the US ignored evidence of cooperation between Russia and Iran

The US trusts Putin. And it’s a disgrace, said Zelensky. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made a strong statement about the US position on cooperation between Moscow and Tehran, accusing Washington of not responding properly to the evidence presented by Kyiv. Against this backdrop, the Ukrainian leader made it clear that the problem lies not only in the actions of Iran and Russia but also in how part of the American leadership perceives the Kremlin’s intentions.

Zelensky said this in an interview with the TV channel on April 9, 2026 to the TV channel RAI.

According to Zelensky, the Ukrainian side tried to draw the White House’s attention to the close coordination between Moscow and Tehran. Kyiv claims that this included the transfer of data that could be used for strikes on critical infrastructure and facilities related to the American presence in the region.

These statements were made against the backdrop of a new wave of tension around Iran and the ongoing war of Russia against Ukraine. Therefore, the words of the President of Ukraine go far beyond ordinary diplomatic polemics and directly affect the interests of Israel, the US, and the entire Middle East.

Accusation against Washington

Zelensky stated that the United States effectively ignored Kyiv’s arguments about the interaction between Moscow and Tehran. In his assessment, this looks like a dangerous political mistake, as trust in Putin under such conditions only expands the space for further coordination between anti-Western regimes.

Another of his phrases caused a separate resonance. Zelensky emphasized that he remains one of the few who tells Donald Trump what he really thinks. This remark not only reflected the personal style of the Ukrainian leader but also showed clear irritation that, in Kyiv’s opinion, American politics still underestimates Moscow’s real goals.

What lies behind these words

For Ukraine, such statements are an attempt to convey to Western partners that the alliance between Russia and Iran has long ceased to be a secondary topic. Kyiv consistently shows that Moscow and Tehran are not acting in parallel realities but in a common logic of pressure on the US, their allies, and the entire security architecture that has been built over decades.

That is why it is not only about the war in Ukraine. If Kyiv’s claims about deeper interaction between Russia and Iran are true, then the consequences are felt in the Middle East, in Europe, and in Washington’s relations with its key partners.

Why this is important for Israel

For the Israeli audience, this topic has a special meaning. Iran remains one of the main threats to the Jewish state, and any signs that its capabilities are being enhanced by Russian assistance automatically shift the story from the diplomatic plane to the sphere of direct security.

In Jerusalem, it has long been understood that the Middle Eastern threat does not exist separately from the war in Ukraine. The closer the link between Moscow and Tehran becomes, the harder it is to separate these crises. When Ukraine warns of Russian-Iranian coordination, Israel hears not only a Ukrainian signal but also a direct warning for its own region.

In this context, NAnovosti — News of Israel | Nikk.Agency draws attention to a key point: it is no longer about isolated episodes, but about an increasingly noticeable common axis of interests, where Russia and Iran benefit from weakening the US, pressuring their allies, and destabilizing regional stability.

The Israeli view on the situation

For Israel, what is especially important in this story is that the Ukrainian leadership is effectively speaking about the strategic blindness of part of the American establishment. If Washington continues to assume that it can play the usual political game of compromises with the Kremlin, it may lead to new miscalculations in Europe and the Middle East.

From the point of view of Israeli security, the problem here is obvious. A mistake in assessing the intentions of Iran or its partners is too costly, especially when it comes to intelligence, military coordination, and infrastructure related to the American presence in the region.

What Zelensky’s words mean in practice

The political meaning of these statements is that Kyiv no longer wants to limit itself to diplomatically smoothed formulations. Zelensky openly makes it clear: Ukraine considers any trust in Putin dangerous in conditions where Russia, according to its version, helps Iran and thereby strengthens the overall threat to the West.

For the US, this is an unpleasant signal because it questions the effectiveness of the current approach to the Kremlin. For Israel, it is yet another confirmation that the Ukrainian front and the Middle Eastern arc of instability are much more closely linked than many would like to believe.

As a result, Zelensky’s statement does not look like an emotional outburst but as an attempt to force allies to recognize a new reality. In this reality, Russia and Iran are acting more and more in concert, and the cost of a delayed reaction may be too high not only for Ukraine but also for Israel, the US, and the entire region.