Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the UK Andrei Kelin throughout an interview with PA on the official residence of the Russian Ambassador in London. Image date: Monday February 21, 2022.
Aaron Chown – Pa Pictures | Pa Pictures | Getty Pictures
The U.S.-Israeli conflict on Iran is a “misadventure” whose targets and exit technique stay unclear, Russia’s ambassador to the U.Okay. advised CNBC.
Andrey Kelin mentioned Russia has “numerous sympathy” with Tehran and mentioned “one of the best finish” to the escalating Center East conflict is for it to “present solely that they’re mindless.”
“We nonetheless try to grasp, what are the targets of President Trump on this marketing campaign. You recognize that a number of doubts have been expressed in regards to the exit technique that the American administration can have on this endeavour,” Kelin advised CNBC’s Steve Sedgwick in an interview recorded on Thursday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin despatched a message to Iran’s new supreme chief, Mojtaba Khamenei, earlier this week, providing his “unwavering help” to Tehran and saying the nation “has been and can stay the Islamic Republic’s dependable companion.”
The conflict has been raging for 2 weeks, with heavy strikes reported throughout Iran’s capital metropolis and transport visitors by way of the strategically very important Strait of Hormuz severely disrupted.
The White Home has mentioned the aims of Operation Epic Fury have been to destroy Iran’s ballistic missile arsenal and manufacturing capability and its navy, sever its help for proxies in different international locations and guarantee Iran can by no means purchase a nuclear weapon.
The White Home mentioned on Thursday these aims “have remained unchanged unambiguous, and constant” because the operation started on Feb. 28.
“We’ve got numerous sympathy with Iran. We’ve got numerous sympathy as effectively with the Persian Gulf states, there isn’t a doubt in any respect. As for the start, I can not perceive the place of when all people is blaming Iran,” Kelin mentioned.
“[The] disaster has began with the, as I’ve mentioned, with Israel and U.S. aggression in opposition to Iran and it was in the course of talks, after all,” he continued, referring to negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program held within the Swiss metropolis of Geneva final month.
On this pool {photograph} distributed by the Russian state company Sputnik, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin attends a gathering with Iranian President in Ashgabat on December 12, 2025.
Alexander Kazakov | Afp | Getty Pictures
“My president mentioned this difficulty with the president of the US, and we are able to make a very good contribution by the way in which to complete it, to wrap it up.”
CNBC has contacted a spokesperson on the White Home and Israel’s International Ministry and is awaiting a response.
‘A strategic partnership’
Alongside China, which has obtained thousands and thousands of barrels of oil by way of the Strait of Hormuz at the same time as conflict chokes the waterway, Russia stands as one in all Iran’s most influential diplomatic companions.
“We’ve got a strategic partnership with Iran. We’re not allied in navy phrases, however we now have a strategic partnership, and we now have obtained numerous communication in several fields,” Kelin advised CNBC.
Requested to make clear whether or not Moscow has any navy hyperlinks with Iran, Kelin replied: “I don’t touch upon that facet.”
Funerals are held for members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and different navy figures at Enghelab Sq. on March 11, 2026 in Tehran, Iran.
Majid Saeedi | Getty Pictures Information | Getty Pictures
U.Okay. Protection Secretary John Healy advised reporters on Thursday that Putin’s “hidden hand” seems to be behind Iran’s navy playbook in addition to doubtlessly a few of Tehran’s navy capabilities.
Iran has reportedly fired off greater than 2,000 Shahed drones throughout the Center East because the conflict started. These drones, which have been first designed in Iran, have been used extensively throughout Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Diplomatic answer on Ukraine is ‘badly wanted’
On Ukraine, Russia’s Kelin mentioned Kyiv is “steadily” and “positively” shifting towards defeat after greater than 4 years of conflict, regardless of little motion by Russian forces and mounting casualties.
When challenged on Russian forces’ lack of motion, Kelin replied: “Throughout winter time, after all, there was a sure pause. In the mean time, we now have a spring drawback with the roads as a result of they’re in dangerous circumstances however, consider me, what’s on the desk proper now could be about 10% of Donbas territory, which isn’t but beneath our management.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned earlier this week that the Kremlin’s personal assessments estimate that greater than 1.3 million Russian troopers have been killed and wounded on the battlefield since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. CNBC couldn’t independently confirm this report.
A report from the Heart for Strategic and Worldwide Research revealed in January mentioned Russian battlefield casualties are considerably better than Ukrainian fatalities, with Ukrainian forces seemingly struggling someplace between 500,000 and 600,000 casualties.
Kelin mentioned he was positive that each Moscow and Kyiv would ultimately conform to a diplomatic decision to the conflict.
“I can not say when it will occur, however a diplomatic answer is badly wanted,” Kelin mentioned.
Kelin mentioned The U.S. was “enjoying a constructive position on this diplomatic effort,” however added: “Since Ukraine isn’t ready in the mean time and since Europe nonetheless want to again up Ukraine as a lot as potential, to produce it with weapons, with cash … making no efforts to solicit or to assist this diplomatic answer, it will final for a while.”
U.S-brokered talks on the Ukraine conflict have been placed on maintain because of the Iran battle, with U.S. Particular Envoy Steve Witkoff telling CNBC on Tuesday that the discussions would now seemingly happen subsequent week. Ukraine’s Zelenskyy had urged the U.S. to not take away sanctions on Russia forward of these talks, though the White Home has since moved to briefly elevate sanctions on Russian crude at sea.
A Shahed-136 drone is displayed at a rally in western Tehran, Iran, on February 11, 2026.
Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty Pictures
The European Union’s international coverage chief, Kaja Kallas, lately mentioned there seems to be “no finish in sight” to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Talking at a information convention on Monday, she mentioned it’s clear Russia’s military was “slowed down” and its financial system is in steep decline.
“Russia’s maximalist calls for can’t be met with a minimalist response,” Kallas mentioned. “It is simply widespread sense, if Ukraine’s navy is to be restricted in measurement, Russia’s must be too.”
