Zelensky calls allies' shooting down of Iranian missiles double standards
Kyiv • UNN
President Zelenskyy criticized Western allies for demonstrating double standards by helping Israel shoot down Iranian missiles and drones but not providing the same level of support to Ukraine against Russian air attacks.
Western allies' assistance to Israel in shooting down Iranian missiles and drones is a demonstration of double standards. This opinion was expressed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in an interview with Brazilian journalists, noting that there was more politics in the issue of protecting Ukraine, and pragmatism in the issue of protecting Israel, the correspondent of UNN reports.
What is the main issue of double standards? The fact that politics in general is a double standard. That is why there was more politics in the defense of Ukraine, and pragmatism in the defense of Israel. We have always advocated that our partners and allies should be partners and allies. Pragmatic partners and allies who understood that in order to protect Ukraine, they needed to use all their capabilities to influence the protection of the sky, not only political, financial, sanctions, everything they did, but also to use their defense capabilities
He noted that this is very important for Ukraine.
When we said from the first day of the war: Close the sky. Please protect Ukraine. We were told that we can do this, otherwise we will be involved in a war with the Russian Federation. Because you are not a NATO country, and we are NATO countries. The story here is absolutely pragmatic with Israel. They needed to destroy everything that was flying at the Israelis' heads. Well done, they did, and thank God. But nevertheless, this is double standards. Everyone forgot at that moment that Israel is not a NATO country. They showed the full power of the allies
According to the President of Ukraine, we can discuss for a long time that this was not the case in the first place; Iranian missiles were flying over other countries where allied bases were based, so they shot everything down before Israel, they were defending this space above their bases.
But all this would be, frankly, a double standard. Russian planes, and missiles launched from Russian planes, have repeatedly crossed the border, the airspace of Poland, for example, during this war. And Poland and Romania, I'm sorry, but there was no reaction. That is, it speaks of double standards
AddendumAddendum
On the night of April 14, Iran fired over 300 rockets and drones at Israel. Reuters reported that the attack of more than 300 missiles and drones, mostly launched from Iran, caused only "modest" damageas most of them were shot down by Israel's Iron Dome defense system and with the help of the United States, Britain, France and Jordan.
Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported that the pattern of the Iranian attack on Israel on the night of April 14 is similar to the strikes that Russia has repeatedly carried out in Ukraine.
Effective counteraction to air attacks with the help of allies is possible. This was emphasized by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy in his evening video address. In particular, he took as an example the repulsion of Iran's massive attack on Israel last night, and called on allies "not to turn a blind eye to Russian missiles and drones."
