Russian President Vladimir Putin entered diplomatic discussions on the crisis in the Middle East this Monday (16), speaking to five of the main parties involved, including Iran and the main Arab powers, in an attempt to guarantee a ceasefire in the Middle East. war between Israel and Hamas.
Russia, which maintains relations with Iran, Hamas, and major Arab powers, as well as the Palestinians and Israel, has repeatedly stated that the United States and the West have ignored the need to create an independent Palestinian state within borders after the 1967 war.
Putin spoke with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad by telephone, the Kremlin said. He also plans to speak with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told Putin that the situation was worsening, that the Israeli army’s actions were “indiscriminate” and that there was a risk that Israel would launch a ground operation against Gaza.
“The threat that this entire conflict will spiral out of control is great,” Ryabkov told Putin at a meeting also attended by the heads of Russia’s intelligence services and military leaders.
He said the United States was ultimately responsible for the crisis due to its failed policy in the Middle East and that Washington was blocking a Russian resolution at the UN Security Council.
Putin, who says the West is trying to divide Russia by supporting Ukraine, says the current violence in the Middle East shows the extent to which US policy in the region has failed.
Putin will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping this week in an attempt to deepen a partnership forged between the United States’ two biggest strategic competitors.
Russia and China, both permanent members of the United Nations (UN) Security Council, have stated that the fundamental issue at the heart of the conflict is the lack of justice for the Palestinians.
The Palestinians want to form a state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip with East Jerusalem as its capital – territory captured by Israel in the 1967 war.
“We believe that the main thing at this moment, in this situation, is to immediately cease fire and begin the process of a political settlement,” said Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov, quoted by state news agencies.
On Monday, China’s foreign minister called for a ceasefire to stop the bloodshed in Israel, suggesting in a meeting with his Russian counterpart that major world powers should work to avert a humanitarian disaster.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov discussed the conflict between Israel and Hamas with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing ahead of Putin’s visit to China.
See also: It’s in Russia’s interest to divert attention from the war in Ukraine, says political scientist
Source: CNN Brasil
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