Diplomacy: Putin urges “intensification” of Russia-Iran cooperation

Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone with his Iranian counterpart Ibrahim Raisi on Saturday, the Kremlin announced, at a time when Tehran appears to be a key ally of Moscow in its intervention in Ukraine.

The two leaders discussed “persistent issues” related to bilateral relations between Iran and Russia, emphasizing “intensification of cooperation in the political, economic and trade spheres,” the Russian president indicated in a statement. The Kremlin notes that Vladimir Putin and Raisi have access to the “transport and logistics sector,” while the Russian and Iranian economies are underpinned. Strict Western sanctions.

The call comes as Vladimir Putin appears isolated on the international stage since his inauguration Its offensive in Ukraine, at the end of February, was marked by successive defeats of the Russian army. Vladimir Putin has given up on going next week At the G20 summit In Indonesia. Moscow and Tehran have embarked on a larger rapprochement, although China and India, normally Russia’s allies, say they are worried about the conflict.

Kyiv and its Western backers, particularly the Americans, accuse Russia of using Iranian-made drones in Ukraine on a large scale. Press articles also suggested the possibility of supplying Moscow with land-launched missiles from Iranian territory, a claim denied by Tehran.

In early November, Iran He admitted to supplying the drones to Russia, but assured that these deliveries took place before the attack in Ukraine. This week, Nikolai Patrushev, secretary of the powerful Russian Security Council, visited Tehran, where he discussed security cooperation between the two countries.