The European Union has revealed they have received credible information that Iran us supplying Russia with ballistic missiles.
Countermeasures are in place and the EU’s High Representative Josep Borrell has put forward decisive and targeted measures to EU Member States.
Peter Stano, spokesman for the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy said, “We confirm to have received credible information about the delivery of Iranian ballistic missiles to Russia.”
Stano warned that the Iranian ballistic missiles “will likely assist Russia’s escalatory bombing campaign against Ukrainian civilians, cities and civilian infrastructure, further increasing civilian casualties and destruction.
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He added, “It represents a further military escalation by Russia and an escalation in Iran’s support to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, which violates UN Charter, international law and international humanitarian law.”
Stano said that Borrell has repeatedly warned Tehran against arming Vladimir Putin and that EU leaders have also been quite clear with Iran after a meeting with the council meeting in March.
He said, the EU Union will respond swiftly and in coordination with international partners, including with new and significant restrictive measures against Iran.”
He added, “Such support to Russia’s terrorising campaign against Ukraine’s population will be met with a strong EU response.
“High Representative Borrell has already put to EU Member States a substantial set of decisive and targeted measures as part of EU’s response, which will have to be agreed unanimously by all Member States.”
An official in Kyiv said Russia receiving missiles from Iran should be “permission” for Ukraine to use Western missiles to destroy Vladimir Putin’s warehouses.
Putin’s warehouses stockpiling missiles from Iran and North Korea should be destroyed using Western missiles before they are used to attack and kill Ukrainian citizens.
Andriy Yermak, head of the President’s Office of Ukraine said that Kyiv should be granted “permission for Ukraine to destroy warehouses with these missiles with Western weapons.”
He added that “democracies must respond to the terror of autocracies. Strikes against terrorist Russia are defense. And defense is not escalation.”
