Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the UK Andrei Kelin during an interview with PA at the official residence of the Russian Ambassador in London. Image date: Monday February 21, 2022.
Aaron Chown – Pa Images | Pa Images | getty images
Russia’s ambassador to Britain told CNBC that a US-Israeli war on Iran is an “adventure” whose goals and exit strategy are unclear.
Andrey Kelin said that Russia is “very sympathetic” with Tehran and said that the “best end” to an escalating war in the Middle East is for it to “just show that they are senseless.”
“We’re still trying to understand what President Trump’s goals are in this campaign. You know, there have been a lot of skepticism expressed about the American administration’s exit strategy in this effort,” Kellin told CNBC’s Steve Sedgwick in a recorded interview Thursday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this week sent a message to Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, making his offer.unwavering supportfor Tehran and saying the country “has been and will remain a reliable partner of the Islamic Republic.”
The war has been going on for two weeks with heavy attacks informed Shipping traffic into Iran’s capital and through the strategically important Strait of Hormuz was severely disrupted.
The White House has said Objective The objectives of Operation Epic Fury were to destroy Iran’s ballistic missile arsenal and production capacity and its navy, end its support for proxies in other countries, and ensure that Iran could never acquire nuclear weapons.
The White House said Thursday that these objectives “remain unchanged, clear and consistent” since the operation began on February 28.
Kelin said, “We have a lot of sympathy with Iran. We also have a lot of sympathy with the Persian Gulf states, no doubt about that. For starters, I can’t understand the situation when everyone is blaming Iran.”
“As I have said, the crisis started with Israeli and American aggression against Iran and this was certainly in the middle of the negotiations,” he added, referring to talks over Iran’s nuclear program in the Swiss city of Geneva last month.
In this pool photo distributed by Russian state agency Sputnik, Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with Iranian President Vladimir Putin in Ashgabat on Dec. 12, 2025.
Alexander Kazakov AFP | getty images
“My president discussed this issue with the President of the United States, and we can make a good contribution to ending it, to ending it.”
CNBC has contacted spokespeople for the White House and Israel’s Foreign Ministry and is awaiting response.
‘A strategic partnership’
with China, which is Russia stands as one of Iran’s most influential diplomatic partners, receiving millions of barrels of oil through the Strait of Hormuz even as war blocked the waterway.
“We have a strategic partnership with Iran. We’re not allies in a military sense, but we have a strategic partnership, and we’ve got a lot of communication in different areas,” Kelin told CNBC.
Asked to clarify whether Moscow has any military ties with Iran, Kelin replied: “I don’t comment on that.”
A funeral is held for members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and other military figures at Enghelab Square in Tehran, Iran, on March 11, 2026.
Majid Saeedi Getty Images News | getty images
British Defense Secretary John Healey told reporters Said on Thursday that it appears Putin’s “hidden hand” is behind Iran’s military strategy as well as potentially some of Tehran’s military capabilities.
Iran has reportedly fired more than 2,000 Shaheed drones in the Middle East since the war began. These drones, which were first designed in Iran, have been used extensively during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
‘Deep need’ for diplomatic solution on Ukraine
On Ukraine, Russia’s Kelin said that despite low mobilization of Russian forces and rising casualties, Kiev is “steadily” and “definitely” moving towards defeat after more than four years of war.
When challenged on the reduction in Russian troop movements, Kelin replied: “During the winter time, of course, there was a certain stagnation. At the moment, we have spring problems with the roads because they are in bad shape, but believe me, what is on the table right now is about 10% of the Donbass region, which is not under our control yet.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Said The Kremlin’s own assessment earlier this week estimated that more than 1.3 million Russian soldiers have been killed and wounded on the battlefield since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. CNBC could not independently verify this report.
A report Russian battlefield casualties are significantly higher than Ukrainian deaths, with Ukrainian forces likely suffering between 500,000 and 600,000 casualties, according to a Center for Strategic and International Studies study published in January.
Kelin said he was confident that both Moscow and Kiev would eventually agree on a diplomatic solution to the war.
“I can’t say when that’s going to happen, but a diplomatic solution is desperately needed,” Kelin said.
Kelin said the US is “playing a constructive role in this diplomatic effort”, but added: “Since Ukraine is not ready at the moment and since Europe still prefers to support Ukraine as much as possible, supply it with weapons, money… not making any efforts to demand or help this diplomatic solution, this will go on for some time.”
US-brokered talks on the Ukraine war have been halted due to the Iran conflict, US special envoy Steve Witkoff told CNBC on Tuesday, with discussions now likely to take place next week. Ukraine’s Zelensky had urged the United States not to lift sanctions on Russia ahead of those talks, although the White House has moved to temporarily lift sanctions on Russian crude oil at sea.
A Shaheed-136 drone is displayed at a rally in western Tehran, Iran, on February 11, 2026.
Nurfoto | Nurfoto | getty images
The EU’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, recently Said There appears to be “no end in sight” to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, he said it was clear that Russia’s military has been “hardened” and its economy is in steep decline.
“Russia’s maximalist demands cannot be met with a minimalist response,” Callas said. “It’s just common sense that, if the size of Ukraine’s military is to be limited, Russia’s should be too.”