Moscow states no equivalents between Israel-Iran, Ukraine wars
(MENAFN) The Kremlin has dismissed comparisons between the Israel-Iran conflict and the ongoing hostilities in Ukraine, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday. His remarks came in response to US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff’s suggestion that the recent ceasefire between Iran and Israel could serve as a model for ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Speaking to CNBC, Witkoff expressed hope that others might look at the Iran-Israel ceasefire and pursue a similar path toward peace with Russia and Ukraine. However, Peskov firmly rejected this notion, stating the two conflicts differ fundamentally in “their essence and nature.”
Peskov stressed that Israel’s attacks on Iran were “absolutely unprovoked,” whereas Russia’s military operation in Ukraine stemmed from long-standing security concerns. He cited NATO’s expansion toward Russian borders and Western backing of the 2014 coup in Kiev as key reasons behind Moscow’s actions. “Drawing such parallels is hardly appropriate,” he said, adding that the idea of achieving peace through force doesn’t apply in Ukraine’s case, as Russia will not be pressured into a ceasefire.
The recent Israel-Iran ceasefire followed Israeli strikes on June 13, which Tel Aviv claimed targeted Iran’s alleged nuclear weapons program — a claim disputed by the International Atomic Energy Agency and US intelligence. The US also took part in these strikes, prompting an Iranian missile retaliation on a US base in Qatar. A ceasefire was eventually brokered by US President Donald Trump.
In contrast, Moscow maintains that Ukraine escalated the conflict by shelling civilians in Donbass in violation of the Minsk agreements. Russia also points to NATO’s growing military footprint in Ukraine and Kiev’s aspirations to join the bloc as justification for its actions, while accusing the West of fueling the war by supplying arms to Ukraine.
Peace talks between Moscow and Kiev resumed in May after nearly three years, leading to agreements on prisoner exchanges and the return of fallen soldiers’ remains. Draft peace proposals have been exchanged, but Peskov noted that further negotiations would only follow once current humanitarian agreements are fully implemented.
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