Ukraine fears being sidelined by Iran-Israel war

AFP | Ukraine

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Fighting between Iran and Israel could deflect global attention from the Russian invasion of Ukraine and even bolster Kremlin's war effort, Ukrainian officials say.

Israel launched a massive bombing campaign on Iran last week that prompted Tehran -- a close ally of Russia -- to strike back with missiles and drones.

The conflict has pushed up the price of oil -- a key revenue stream funding Russia's invasion.

"For Ukraine, the challenge is the price of oil, because if prices remain high for a long time, the Russians will earn more," a senior Ukrainian political source told AFP.

However, Kyiv has welcomed Israeli attacks on a country which has directly aided and provided weapons to Moscow for its own strikes on Ukraine.

The campaign has left several high-ranking Iranian military officials dead and put pressure on Tehran's military capacity that is likely to limit the practical support it can provide to Russia.

"The Iranian regime is Russia's ally, so the more they lose, the better," the Ukrainian source said.

"Overall, Israel is doing the whole world a favour. That is a fact," the source added.

The possibility of weaker support and attention from Washington, however, concerns Kyiv.

The administration of US President Donald Trump, Israel's closest ally, has made clear that its security priorities are the Middle East and Asia, with Europe lower on the list.