BRUSSELS — European Council President Antonio Costa says Russia appears to be the only country gaining from the ongoing US‑Israeli war against Iran, as rising energy prices and shifting global attention work in Moscow’s favor, according to Al Jazeera News.
Speaking to European Union ambassadors in Brussels on Tuesday, Costa warned that the growing conflict in the Middle East is indirectly strengthening Russia’s position in its long-running war against Ukraine.
“So far, there is only one winner in this war, Russia,” Costa said.
The war, now in its 11th day, has quickly spread across the region. Iranian forces have struck back at US and Israeli targets while also attacking facilities in Gulf countries. Fighting around the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route for global oil and gas, has slowed energy shipments and pushed fuel prices sharply higher.
Costa argued that these rising energy prices could help Russia earn more money to fund its military campaign in Ukraine. At the same time, he said the crisis in the Middle East is drawing global attention and military resources away from the war in Ukraine.
“It gains new resources to finance its war,” Costa said, adding that the conflict is also diverting support that might otherwise have gone to Kyiv.
He urged all sides in the Middle East to return to negotiations and warned that continued fighting could destabilize regions far beyond the conflict zone.
“Freedom and human rights cannot be achieved through bombs,” Costa said. “Only international law can protect them.”
Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts between Russia and Ukraine continue but remain uncertain. The Kremlin said both sides want to keep US‑mediated peace talks alive, though no date has been set for the next round.
In a separate development, US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin held their first phone call of the year on Monday, discussing both the Ukraine war and the growing tensions with Iran.
Before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the European Union relied on Russia for more than 40 percent of its natural gas. By 2025, that figure had dropped to about 13 percent, reflecting Europe’s effort to reduce dependence on Russian energy.
