Two people familiar with the matter told Politico that Washington said no to a Russian offer made in Miami last week. Moscow would stop sharing intelligence with Iran, the envoy said, if the United States stopped helping Ukraine in the same way.
Kirill Dmitriev, the Russian envoy, put the idea to Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump’s special envoy, and to Jared Kushner. The U.S. side declined.
European governments are uneasy anyway. Officials there fear Russian President Vladimir Putin is trying to open a gap between the United States and its European allies, and see the offer as one piece of a wider push that could erode Western unity over the war in Ukraine.
Iran’s own words
Iran has admitted getting military help from Russia in its conflict with the United States and Israel. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called Russia a strategic partner in wartime during an interview with MS Now, the network formerly known as MSNBC.
Reports say Iranian attacks have been carried out with precise knowledge of U.S. military positions and activity, which has fed speculation that Russia supplies intelligence. Trump has said publicly that Russia may be assisting Iran. Just as the U.S. backs Ukraine against Russia, he said, Putin may be giving Iran limited support.
The reports did not say whether Washington made a counteroffer.
