Vladimir Putin has spoken out following the US strikes on Iran, making a slight shift in rhetoric since the US attacked Venezuela. In a short statement posted on the Kremlin’s website, Putin denounced the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as « murder … committed in cynical violation of all norms of human morality and international law ». While the tone was certainly harsher than his reaction to the capture of Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro, the Kremlin has still managed to stick to a more diplomatic response than some might have expected.
Notably, Putin did not name the countries behind the killing. Plus, the dictator’s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov expressed « deep disappointment » that US talks with Iran had failed, while also voicing « deep appreciation » for US efforts to broker peace with Ukraine. This, according to the news outlet Politico, points to the paranoia Putin’s regime might have following Donald Trump’s unpredictable behaviour, playing it safe.
Khamenei’s death was something that Putin, in his own words, did not « even want to discuss ». Now, he has no other choice but to take notes. As Vladimir Solovyov, Putin’s key propagandist known for his direct and often chilling statements against the West, put it, Russia now needs to understand the following question: « Do we understand that the conversation about Iran is also a conversation about Russia? »
While Putin, as some analysts argue, is trying to keep Trump on his side to keep putting pressure on Ukraine, the dictator’s close circle has already voiced their opinions. Indirectly, they scream of paranoia that Putin himself is likely haunted by. The pro-Kremlin outlet Segodnya.ru laid it out bluntly, with an opinion piece titled: « How they’re going to kill us. »
« One by one, our allies are being systematically eliminated, » wrote Alexander Dugin, a pro-war, ultranationalist thinker. « It’s clear who’s next, and it’s clear what negotiations with such an enemy really mean, » he continued, referring to ongoing US-brokered peace talks with Ukraine.
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The situation in Iran could certainly cause a lot of damage to one or Russia’s last remaining partners and their common projects.
But at the same time, there are some upsides Putin can benefit from, including higher oil prices, disagreement between Europe and the US regarding how to deal with the situation, and, perhaps most strikingly, a Washington distracted from the war in Ukraine.
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