Russian President Vladimir Putin – on Monday – held the West responsible for the crisis in the Middle East, as Israel is bombing the Gaza Strip, and accused the United States of wanting to spread chaos in the Middle East region.
In a television statement before a meeting of members of the Russian Security Council, the government, and heads of law enforcement agencies, Putin said that “the ruling elites in the United States” and “those in their orbit” are behind the killing of Palestinians in Gaza and behind the events in Ukraine, Iraq and Syria.
He added, “They want chaos to continue in the Middle East, and therefore the United States is doing its utmost to discredit those countries that insist on an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and stop the bloodshed, and that stand ready to make a real contribution to resolving the crisis.”
Russia supports an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and it supports the two-state solution. Moscow angered Israel by receiving a delegation from the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas).
Putin said that the key to resolving the conflict lies in establishing an independent, sovereign Palestinian state, hinting that this is not Washington’s stated goal.
He also accused Western intelligence services and Ukraine of helping to foment unrest in Dagestan, where last night a crowd of people tried to block passengers who had arrived at Makhachkala airport on a flight from Israel.