Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andriy Sybiha reported a telephone conversation with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iran Abbas Araghchi, during which he explained Ukraine's position and urged his counterpart to refrain from escalation following accusations directed at President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy regarding an alleged attack on an Iranian merchant vessel in the Caspian Sea.
"I called Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi for a frank conversation. Diplomacy is about direct conversation, even when it’s difficult. I stressed that our goal is to avoid unnecessary escalation. I reiterated that all of Ukraine’s actions are aimed solely at defending our country from Russian aggression and never intended to target civilian vessels or people. This is also true with regard to Iran’s statements about their national who died and a civilian vessel that was targeted in a recent incident.," Sybiha wrote on the social network X on Tuesday.
He emphasized that Ukraine's goal is to counter Russian aggression, which is the root cause of "all derivative incidents," and that Russia bears full responsibility for all provocations and casualties.
"I emphasised the necessity to refrain from any escalatory steps, as well as to end any support for Russia’s war against Ukraine. This war is illegal and it must end. Our position remains unchanged: Europe and the Middle East deserve stability, security, and peace," Sybiha added.
As reported, on July 25, Zelenskyy reported new long-range strikes on military-industrial complex enterprises, oil refining and transport infrastructure, and a Russian military ship in the Caspian Sea. Following this, Araghchi accused Zelenskyy of an alleged attack on an Iranian merchant vessel in the Caspian Sea waters, which resulted in the death of a seafarer, stating that such actions "cannot remain unanswered."
To this, Zelenskyy responded that Iran had effectively already participated in the war against Ukraine by providing the RF with drones, technology, and other weaponry, assessing such actions as an attack on Ukraine. The President noted that Ukraine must act cautiously and avoid opening a new front; however, according to him, support for Russia from Iran and North Korea must be taken into account. He stressed that Ukraine must be prepared for the possible escalation of threats: "I hope that they will not intensify these attacks, but we must be ready for anything and know that we cannot trust these people."
This is Sybiha's first contact with Araghchi. In 2022, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba and former Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian held a series of telephone conversations dedicated to weapon supplies and Russian aggression.
