That was hardly an unforeseeable consequence of President Donald Trump’s war. A few days after the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran in late February, Rosemary Kelanic of Defense Priorities told The American Conservative that she expected Russia to aid Iran, if only to create a quid pro quo.
“Now Russia could help Iran target U.S. bases throughout the region,” Kelanic warned, “and then use that as a bargaining chip and say, ‘Hey, we’ve told you stop arming the Ukrainians for a long time, so how about you stop arming the Ukrainians and we’ll stop arming or helping Iran?’”
Kelanic’s warning proved well-founded, but the U.S.-led West didn’t suspend its support for Ukraine as Moscow probably hoped. Still, the Kremlin has found ways to exert its newfound leverage.
Read at The American Conservative
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