In full: Iran war displays 'unprovoked aggression' by Israel and US, says Russian ambassador

Your government's uh statement on this has been that this is an invas not an invasion but it's a transgression of territorial integrity and uh and so on and why wasn't the security council consulted and so on and it struck me very forcibly that uh in 2022 uh Russia did exactly the same in fact put men into a foreign country. >> Uh at at the time uh as I have said these are two different things. Uh but uh uh we did have a plan. Uh we did have strategy when it has all started. We did have a clear clear goals and we have indicated all uh absolutely clear goals. uh there are four of them and and I would not repeat them as but as for the moment what's going on in Iran this is absolutely illegal uh and uh an provoked aggression uh by Israel and United States against Iran which has no explanation which has no clear goal which has no planning which has no exit strategy most of all and people really let it be US Europe and US Russia We do not understand why it is happening because it happens in the middle of negotiations uh which uh between United States and Iran on the critical topic of uh nuclear issues. Uh and as we have been informed by the minister of foreign affairs of Oman who was mediating it they were close to success in it. So uh US has interrupted uh these negotiations and decided to make a strike. So uh it is critical that we will come back to to to it and to come to a negotiate a solution. >> Is um Russia going to come to the aid of Iran in any way? Because Russia and Iran have been allies. The uh Iranians have supplied um expertise and uh material to to Russia. Would you for example uh consider supplying Iran with munitions, drones and so on? >> Uh you know that we have all sympathies with Iran. They are our neighbors. They historically uh we have had always very good relationship with Iran. But for the moment uh as uh it has been announced yesterday, Iran didn't ask for any assistance or help. >> And if they were to ask, Russia would consider it uh that request seriously and making uh assistance available. >> Well, you know, we are not only sympathetic with Iran, but we are also sympathetic with the countries of Persian Gulf with all emirates. We have uh interest in all of them including Iran and the best will be of course to cease to stop immediately any aggression over the Europe. >> This is interesting because most of the Gulf uh cooperation council countries have come out in support of the Israel and uh American action. Is Russia going to be neutral in this? >> We are not neutral. uh no venue to rule. We are supportive uh to Iran of course and we consider as I have said uh very negatively uh what is being done and besides we do not understand this logic. Uh uh it is the logic at the moment of western countries and all the others is that Iran is to blame for everything. uh but no one is saying that uh US and Israel has initiated an attack against Iran and Iran is only responding to this attack. So this is uh simply unfair. Can I put this to to you? If I were an ally of Russia in various ways, I would expect Russia to be coming to my aid um physically and materially. But Assad in Syria, Maduro in Venezuela, Kame now uh could all count on rhetorical Russian support. But you seem to be saying that actually uh the Russian support is fine as long as it's speeches in the Security Council. But you're not promising any help in war. the Americans uh give the Israelis and their allies whatever they want in terms of weapons. You want >> you know in in international relations uh there are different grades of uh uh partnership. Uh what we do have with Iran this is strategic partnership alliance is a different thing. alliance in interpretation of the United States. For instance, it has a a treaty uh they have treaty they have special ally partnership and alliances with several countries which uh um which uh includes also military assistance Korea for instance, Republic of Korea, Japan and the others. We do not have such a treaties neither with Venezuela or uh you named uh Iran or uh uh what else Syria uh we are cooperating with them. We have a lot of relationship with them but as for special treaty on uh defense assistance or milit is a different thing. >> All right. Well, what should I think if I were a member of the Cuban government with which uh the Soviet Union had an agreement and I believe Russia has does have an agreement. If the Americans decided and there's some sign here that Donald Trump uh wants to regard Cuba to some extent as part of Russia's sphere of influence. Should the Cubans now start to feel nervous that if that happens they won't be able to look to Russia for genuine material support? >> Uh it's very hypothetical question which is good when I was think you're trying to provoke me are we going to send troops? Uh I don't think so. Although it's a hypothetical possibility I guess that we will do everything by all means to settle down crisis. uh we will talk to everybody. We will talk to security council, insecurity council. We will make all but peaceful means. We we we are not Americans. We do not want uh to make uh to change uh the uh legal uh legal situation by by force. It's a it's a Americans are now trying to substitute international law by the force of hgeimon. I will say something like that. So this is not our style. Well, okay. Well, let's talk about your style. Um, Ukraine. How many Russian soldiers have died in the war with Ukraine? >> Uh, well, I have been asked many times to answer this question. I refuse to do it. There are calculations by serious experts. Uh, I know uh these calculations, but I'm not going to reveal it to you. >> The Center for Strategic and International Studies, you may or may not believe they're thicker, but they put it at around 325,000. Okay. Whatever it is, putting your you are a senior Russian official. Your colleagues have to tell Russian mothers that their sons or daughters have died in this conflict. What are you saying to those people about why? >> To whom? to the mothers and fathers and brothers and sisters of those who have died in the conflict that you started with Ukraine. >> It is a special military operation which has it is needed because uh the uh the situation was uh threatening to our vital interests of course and the decision has been taken to to make it. Uh it continues right now. It goes slowly I will say but steadily. And what is what is happening in Ukraine that Ukraine is uh losing this war uh steadily in all aspects economical as industrial aspects military aspects. Ukraine is shrinking right now in spite of all assistance getting that it is getting from from from the west. shrinking very slowly partly because of the tactics that are being pursued by Russia. Um, United Nations reports that 15,000 Ukrainian civilians civilians been killed since Russia invaded in February 2022. You're waging war on innocent people. You talked um a little while ago about essentially what is legitimate cause for war, understanding objectives and so on. Doesn't matter what the objectives are, Russian munitions are killing Ukrainian civilians. That cannot be right. after uh 2014 when the uh so-called revolution of dignities uh take took place in Kiev uh then uh you know that KEF troops has again to the east and to the Lugansk DK and all the republics uh where people resisted uh and they didn't want to obey to the nationalist that has gained a rule in Kiev itself and Ukraine ke authorities sent an army uh to kill innocent people in Lugansk in Denisk and during uh nine years they bombarded uh shooted killed and it was around the same figure as your name 15,000 to 20,000. >> I've heard that justification many times but it still doesn't explain why uh Russian munitions have been targeted at civilians and we're now coming out of winter. Um, Russian uh forces have attacked energy plants. There are people freezing to death in Ukraine. >> Winter is over. It is spring now. >> Yeah, they're still freezing. >> If you have anything to ask me, please. >> But they're still freezing to death. Come on. >> Uh, not anymore. I think that they have restored partly the infrastructure, energy infrastructure, >> uh, and it situation is not critical. We have had a chance to ruin it totally but we didn't gun into that. >> How long is this going to go on? >> My hope that it will end as soon as possible. Everybody hopes for it but for need we need to achieve the goals and we need to achieve uh actually what we need to achieve is it has been agreed with uh President Trump in Anchorage in Alaska uh some months ago. We did have a good framework of agreement uh over this and uh we work on that. We work on that understanding and we hope to to achieve uh and to reach goals that has been set up with the Americans. Uh during this meeting >> the uh parolympic uh authorities of uh Spanish support authorities have admitted Bellarus and Russia to the the games that are going on now. Um the United Kingdom is boycotting the opening ceremony. What is your response to that? >> Well, I think it is very silly of course since United Kingdom does not send any sportsman to this par Olympics. So what what are they pretending to boycott? They have sent one official from the government as I understand. But uh anyway uh sport and politics the are two different things which has many times been said by the Olympic committee by the way and uh we of course still do not understand why it is boycotted since Israel and United States uh uh parolympics are participating perhaps they would like to boycott as well them >> so you're equating the United States and Israel with >> with Russia >> so about what about paralympics support as I say and politics has nothing to do in common. >> Um very last question it's a puzzle to British people. Um Mr. Putin is seems to be uh all powerful. Um what would succession to Putin look like or can nobody actually imagine Russia without Putin? >> Uh well it's a strange question because Putin has been reelected uh two years ago. Uh in fact uh we did have elections also on this premises. Lots of people voted for him his popularity now is around uh 80 85% every day. It is being measured weekly I think. Uh and it his popularity doesn't diminish and what's going to happen well in six or seven years I don't think it is. It's it's it's a matter of discussion. Mr. Ambassador thank you so much for your time. Thank you.

The Russian ambassador to the UK labels the war in Iran as "absolutely illegal" -- he says it differs from the war in Ukraine as Russia has a "plan, strategy and clear goals". Andrei Kelin says: "What's going on in Iran is an unprovoked aggression by Israel and the United States against Iran - which has no explanation, no clear goal, no planning, no exit strategy". #skynews #russia #iran #middleeast #war #unitedstates SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube channel for more videos: http://www.youtube.com/skynews Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/skynews Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/skynews Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skynews Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@skynews For more content go to http://news.sky.com and download our apps: Apple https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/sky-news/id316391924?mt=8 Android https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bskyb.skynews.android&hl=en_GB Sky News Daily podcast is available for free here: https://podfollow.com/skynewsdaily/ To enquire about licensing Sky News content, you can find more information here: https://news.sky.com/info/library-sales