Russian President Vladimir Putin pointed a finger at the United States for the escalating conflict between Israel and Hamas in his first public statement since the Hamas attacks in Israel and Israel’s airstrikes in Gaza.
“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 told Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ Al-Sudani on Tuesday, according to the Moscow Times. Putin and his Iraqi counterpart met in Moscow to discuss the current conflict between Israel and Hamas.
The U.S. “tried to monopolize regulating [the conflict], but was unfortunately unconcerned with finding compromises acceptable for both sides,” Putin added.
The U.S. had specific ideas in mind on “how it should be done” and “pressured both sides,” said Putin. “Each time, however, without taking into account the fundamental interests of the Palestinian people,” he added, according to the Moscow Times.
The problem with U.S. policy is not “taking the core interests of the Palestinian people into account” and working to create an independent Palestinian state, Putin added, according to the Financial Times.
Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin spokesperson, called for a “peaceful resolution as soon as possible” Monday, according to the Washington Post.
The war, resulting in a large and rising death toll, could divert Western support away from Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy echoed these sentiments Monday, while calling out “Russian propagandists.”
“Russia is interested in triggering a war in the Middle East, so that a new source of pain and suffering could undermine world unity, increase discord and contradictions, and thus help Russia destroy freedom in Europe,” Zelenskyy said.
On Tuesday, Peskov refuted Zelenskyy’s claims as having “absolutely no grounds at all,” according to Russian state news.
