Russian President Vladimir Putin has taken an active role in the ongoing Middle East conflict, engaging with key regional players, including Iran and prominent Arab nations, in an effort to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

Russia, maintaining relationships with Iran, Hamas, major Arab powers, Palestinians, and Israel, has consistently emphasized the necessity of establishing an independent Palestinian state based on 1967 borders, a viewpoint often overlooked by the United States and Western nations.

Putin conducted phone conversations with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, as announced by the Kremlin. He further plans to engage with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov expressed deep concern about the escalating situation, deeming Israeli military actions indiscriminate and warning of a potential Israeli ground operation in Gaza. Ryabkov stressed that the conflict’s current trajectory could spiral out of control.

He placed ultimate responsibility on the United States for the crisis, citing failed Middle East policies, and claimed that Washington was obstructing a Russian resolution in the UN Security Council.