Russian President Vladimir Putin, in remarks made on Tuesday, expressed his belief that the recent surge in violence between Israel and the Palestinians highlights the inadequacies of U.S. policy in the Middle East. The Kremlin subsequently confirmed that it had engaged in communication with both conflict parties.
Putin's spokesperson stated that Moscow intended to play a role in resolving the conflict, although the specific nature of this role was not clarified. Instead, Putin took the opportunity to attribute the sharp escalation of violence to years of U.S. policy in the region.
"I think that many people will agree with me that this is a vivid example of the failure of United States policy in the Middle East," Putin asserted during a meeting with visiting Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani.
Putin argued that the United States had attempted to "monopolize" international initiatives aimed at establishing peace and accused Washington of neglecting to pursue compromises acceptable to both sides. According to Putin, the United States had disregarded the interests of Palestinians, including their desire for an independent Palestinian state.
Notably, Putin did not reference Russia's own historical involvement in the Middle East peace process. Russia has been part of a "Quartet" of powers, along with the United States, the United Nations, and the European Union, responsible for mediating the conflict since 2002.
In response to a series of deadly Hamas attacks over the weekend, Israel launched a campaign of intense airstrikes on Gaza, which has been described as the most severe in the 75-year history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Russia expressed concern about the potential for the violence to escalate into a broader Middle East conflict.
Throughout the current crisis, the Kremlin has sought to maintain a balanced stance, emphasizing its strong relationships with both sides. Russia has established longstanding ties with the Palestinians, including Hamas, with whom it held high-level talks in Moscow in March. Simultaneously, Russia shares commonalities with Israel, as a significant number of Israelis are former Russian citizens, according to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.
Peskov noted, "Therefore, we maintain relations with both sides of this conflict. We conduct contacts and take part in all the - unfortunately few - formats that are looking for common ground for a settlement and which do not work very effectively, as recent practice has shown." He further affirmed Russia's intention to continue efforts to contribute to conflict resolution.
Peskov also stated that the Kremlin was investigating whether any Russians were among the hostages taken by Hamas. He debunked the suggestion by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that Russia had an interest in fomenting Middle East conflict to undermine global unity, deeming it groundless. Peskov emphasized the longstanding and deeply rooted nature of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, asserting that it was characterized by intricate nuances.
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