Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday accused Russia of supporting the Palestinian militant group Hamas in its conflict against Israel.
“We are certain that Russia is supporting, in one way or another, Hamas operations”, Zelenskyy said in an interview with the France 2 television channel. “Russia is really trying to carry out destabilizing actions all over the world,” he added.
Zelenskyy said on Monday that it was in Russia’s interests to stoke war in the Middle East to weaken global unity.
“Based on available information -- very clear information -- it is in Russia’s interests to inflame war in the Middle East to create a new source of pain and suffering that would weaken global unity, create divisions and help Russia in undermining freedom in Europe,” Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address.
Zelenskyy said Russians propagandists were “gloating” at developments and that Iran, which he described as Moscow’s ally, was openly supporting those attacking Israel.
“All of this poses a much greater threat than the world currently perceives,” Zelenskyy said.
“And we know how to counter this threat. We are preparing the necessary measures. Most importantly, we are advocating for the necessity of maximum global unity.”
Zelenskyy, in a call on Sunday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said Ukraine was in “solidarity with Israel, which is enduring a brazen, large-scale attack”.
The Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine’s defence ministry said, without providing evidence, that Russian foreign intelligence was attempting to use the conflict in the Middle East to act against Ukraine.
It said in a statement that Russian services had given to Hamas weapons seized during fighting in Ukraine with the aim of later accusing Kyiv of trafficking Western arms to terrorists.
“This is another provocation by the enemy aimed at discrediting the Ukrainian Armed Forces and at stopping military assistance to our country from its Western partners,” it said.
