Russia has interest in igniting war in Middle East to weaken world unity – Zelensky

President Volodymyr Zelensky is confident that Russia is interested in igniting a war in the Middle East to weaken world unity, Rubryka reports.

Zelensky said in his evening video address that he met with Ukraine's intelligence senior officers and diplomats to discuss the situation in and around Israel and the general situation in the Middle East. 

"This is of fundamental importance for us — not only for Ukraine but for all of Europe," the president said.

He reported that  Russia was interested in igniting a war in the Middle East so that a new source of pain and suffering could weaken world unity, add divisions and contradictions, and help Russia destroy freedom in Europe.

"We see how Russian propagandists are getting angry. We see how Moscow's Iranian friends openly support those who attacked Israel. All this is a much greater threat than the world sees it now," the Ukrainian leader said. "The world wars of the past were sparked by local aggressions. We know how to counteract this threat. We are preparing the appropriate steps. And most importantly, we defend the need for top world unity."

Zelensky also said that he contacted the members of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly and held a meeting today with Ukraine's parliamentary speaker, Ruslan Stefanchuk, Deputy Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, Minister of Education and Science Oksen Lisovyi, and the ministerial team.