WASHINGTON, March 1. /TASS/. The joint US-Israeli military operation against Iran will not affect the Russia-US negotiations toward peace in Ukraine or Washington’s position around that matter, Mark Episkopos, a research fellow at the Washington-based Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, told TASS.
"Neither the US nor Russia has any incentive to establish linkages, especially where none exist, between recent events in the Middle East and the Ukraine peace process," the US political analyst said when asked if the military operation against Iran might affect Washington’s position regarding the ongoing efforts to resolve the Ukraine conflict.
According to him, "compartmentalization of other regional issues has served both sides well, with steady progress toward a diplomatic solution in Ukraine." "There is every reason to expect that approach to continue at this late stage in negotiations. Over the medium to long term, achieving a comprehensive Ukraine settlement would set the stage for deeper US-Russia engagement on Middle East issues," the expert maintained. He also said, "Yes, that’s correct," when asked to comment on whether he does not expect any impact from the situation around Iran on the contacts between Moscow and Washington on Ukraine.
On February 28, the US and Israel launched a military operation against Iran. Major Iranian cities, including Tehran, have been hit. The White House justified the attack by citing alleged missile and nuclear threats from Iran. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the Iranian Armed Forces’ elite unit, announced a large-scale retaliatory operation. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and some other key leaders of the Islamic Republic were killed in the joint US-Israeli attack.