Iran10 March, 20262 min read
EU Council President Costa: Russia Only Winner As US and Israel Wage War On Iran
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
Costa said Russia is the only beneficiary of the US‑Israeli war on Iran Rising energy prices give Russia new resources to finance its war against Ukraine, Costa said
Costa: Russia 'only winner'
European Council President Antonio Costa declared that “so far, there is only one winner in this war – Russia,” arguing that Moscow “gains new resources to finance its war against Ukraine as energy prices rise,” profits from the diversion of military capabilities away from Ukraine, and “benefits from reduced attention to the Ukrainian front as the conflict in the Middle East takes centre stage.”
“‘So far, there is only one winner in this war – Russia,’ Costa said in a speech to European Union ambassadors in Brussels on Tuesday. ‘It gains new resources to finance its war against Ukraine as energy prices rise. It profits from the diversion of military capabilities that could otherwise have been sent to support Ukraine. And it benefits from reduced attention to the Ukrainian front as the conflict in the Middle East takes centre stage.’”
Costa made these remarks in a speech to EU ambassadors in Brussels, framing the US‑Israeli campaign against Iran as materially strengthening Russia’s position in the Ukraine war.
Regional escalation and energy
Reporting from Al Jazeera describes the conflict as having “spiralled rapidly throughout the region,” with Iranian forces striking US and Israeli targets and facilities in the Gulf. That escalation has disrupted energy flows: Al Jazeera says oil and natural gas movement through the Strait of Hormuz has been “slowed ... to a near standstill,” pushing fuel prices higher and threatening broad economic impacts. Costa and regional coverage warn this regional spread compounds the strategic consequences he outlined.
EU role and norms
Costa framed his comments as a call to action for the European Union: he “stressed the need for the EU to protect the international rules-based order,” saying that order was being challenged and urging all parties in the Middle East to return to negotiations.
“Costa stressed the need for the EU to protect the international rules-based order, which he said was now being challenged by the United States, and for all parties in the Middle East to return to the negotiating table. ‘Freedom and human rights cannot be achieved through bombs.”
Caspianpost and commonspace.eu reproduce Costa’s insistence that the EU must safeguard norms and play a stronger role in defending the rules‑based system to prevent further escalation.
Economic and strategic fallout
The pieces collectively emphasise the geopolitical and economic fallout Costa warned about: Al Jazeera links the war to surging oil prices and market turmoil (headlined in related reporting as “Oil soars past $100 a barrel, stocks plunge as US-Israel war on Iran rages”).
Costa and other outlets warn the diversion of military resources and international attention can materially benefit Russia’s campaign in Ukraine and risk wider instability across the Middle East and Europe.
