MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin has urged a political solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and suggested that regional states and BRICS member countries could play a vital role in reaching a settlement.
In a televised address during a virtual BRICS summit, Putin attributed the Middle East crisis to what he characterized as the failure of US diplomacy in the region.
“We call for the joint efforts of the international community aimed at de-escalating the situation, an immediate ceasefire, and finding a political solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. And the BRICS states and countries of the region could play a key role in this work,” stated President Putin.
Putin Declares the Situation in Gaza as Terrible
During the virtual summit, Putin described the high number of innocent Palestinian children casualties as “terrible”. He expressed his distress at the sight of children undergoing operations without anesthesia. He blamed the prolonged injustice toward the Palestinian people, citing the sabotage of UN decisions that envisage the creation and peaceful coexistence of two independent and sovereign states, Israel and Palestine.
The Russian President called attention to the failure to fully guarantee the security of the Israeli state, emphasizing the need for addressing the grievances on both sides to pave the way for a lasting and just resolution to the conflict.
Russian and Western policy experts suggest that Putin is leveraging the Gaza crisis to enhance geopolitical influence. This aligns with his broader strategy of cultivating alliances in developing countries and advocating for what he terms a new world order to counterbalance US dominance.
Putin has consistently criticized US policy, urged Israel to exercise restraint, and expressed sympathy for the plight of innocent Palestinians. Last month, he cautioned against Israel besieging Gaza in a manner reminiscent of Nazi Germany’s siege of Leningrad during World War II, emphasizing the potential for an unacceptable number of civilian casualties in a ground offensive.
