Iran China Russia drills. In this photo provided Tuesday, March 12, 2024, by the Iranian Army, an Iranian military boat patrols as a warship enters the Iranian waters prior to start of a joint naval drill of Iran, Russia and China in the Indian Ocean. Iranian Army via AP
Russia, China and Iran will hold joint military drills off the coast of Iran as Ukrainian teams gear up for peace talks with U.S. negotiators in Saudi Arabia.
Why It Matters
The phrase, "Axis of Evil," has been used to describe countries hostile to the U.S. and Western powers in recent decades. It is now typically applied to cooperation between Russia and countries that have supported its war against Ukraine; namely China, Iran and North Korea.
Chinese, Iranian and Russian vessels have repeatedly carried out joint drills in the Gulf of Oman in recent years, including in March 2024, and in March 2023.
What To Know
China's Defense Ministry said on Sunday that Beijing, Tehran and Moscow will carry out joint naval exercises this month, dubbed "Security Belt 2025."
The militaries will perform the drills close to Iran's southeastern port of Chabahar, which looks out onto the Gulf of Oman, China's government said. Beijing's fleet will include at least one destroyer and a supply ship, the defense ministry added.
Iranian state media reported on Sunday that representatives from Azerbaijan, South Africa, Oman, and several other countries including Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, would observe the drills.
Separately, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that he would visit Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia's crown prince and prime minister, in the coming days. After this meeting, the Ukrainian leader said, senior Kyiv officials will stay on to meet U.S. representatives on Tuesday.
The Ukrainian team includes Andriy Yermak, the head of Zelensky's office; the president's deputy chief, Pavlo Palisa; as well as Andriy Sybiha and Rustem Umerov, Ukraine's foreign and defense ministers.
"On our side, we are fully committed to constructive dialogue, and we hope to discuss and agree on the necessary decisions and steps," Zelensky said, adding that there are "realistic proposals" on the table.
Steve Witkoff, U.S. President Donald Trump's envoy to the Middle East, told reporters on Friday that he was "in discussions to coordinate a meeting with the Ukrainians," likely to take place in the Saudi capital of Riyadh or the coastal city of Jeddah.
Ukraine, and Kyiv's European allies, have been deeply worried over how U.S.-brokered ceasefire talks with Russia could play out. This was heightened by the extraordinary dressing down Trump and Vice President JD Vance gave Zelensky in his recent Oval Office visit and an apparent rapprochement between the White House and the Kremlin.
Trump then stopped all U.S. military aid en route to Ukraine, including supplies waiting just miles from the Ukrainian border, and suspended at least some U.S.-derived intelligence sharing with Ukraine. Keith Kellogg, Trump's envoy for Ukraine and Russia, then said Kyiv had "brought it on themselves."
Trump said on Friday that the U.S. is "doing very well with Russia," and added that it was "easier" for him to work with Moscow than Kyiv.
What People Are Saying
Yermak said on Wednesday that he had spoken with Trump's national security adviser, Mike Waltz, and "agreed on a meeting of our teams in the near future."
What Happens Next
The drills are expected to get underway in the coming days, and it remains to be seen how productive Ukrainian negotiations with the U.S. will be.
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This story was originally published March 9, 2025 at 8:29 AM.