Russian President Vladimir Putin has placed the blame on the West for the crisis in the Middle East, particularly the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. In a televised statement, Putin accused the “ruling elites of the U.S.” and their allies of being responsible for the killing of Palestinians in Gaza, as well as conflicts in Ukraine, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria.
According to Putin, the West needs constant chaos in the Middle East and therefore works to discredit countries that call for an immediate ceasefire and seek to resolve the crisis. Russia, on the other hand, supports an immediate ceasefire and a two-state solution in Gaza. This stance has caused tension with Israel, as Russia recently welcomed a Hamas delegation in Moscow.
Putin’s comments come in the context of Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine in February 2022, which he justifies as a mission to protect Russian speakers from alleged oppression. He has framed this intervention as a struggle for Russian survival against a U.S.-led West aiming to crush and dismantle Russia. Putin asserts that Russia is fighting the same forces responsible for the crisis in the Middle East on the battlefields of Ukraine.
In his statement, Putin emphasized that the key to resolving the conflict in the Middle East lies in the establishment of a sovereign and independent Palestinian state. This implies that the aim of the United States and its allies, such as Israel, is not aligned with this goal.
Furthermore, Putin accused the West and Ukraine, a significant portion of which is under Russian control, of being behind recent events in Dagestan. He specifically mentioned an incident at Makhachkala airport, where a mob attempted to harm passengers arriving from Israel. Putin claimed that these events were inspired and orchestrated by Western intelligence services, without providing any evidence to support his claims.
It is important to note that these remarks were made by Putin during a televised statement and were reported by Reuters. The article was written by Kevin Liffey and edited by Andrew Osborn.
