The Kremlin has recently asserted its position as a potential peace broker between Israel and Iran, citing its "stable, trusting ties" with Israel and its partnership with Iran.
This claim comes amidst warnings to the United States to refrain from "interfering." Russian President Vladimir Putin has personally offered to mediate the conflict, suggesting a resolution that would allow Iran to maintain a civil nuclear power programme, provided it refrains from developing nuclear weapons.
"This is a delicate issue, and of course, we need to be very careful here, but in my opinion, a solution can be found I believe it would be good for all of us together to look for ways to stop the fighting and seek ways for the participants in the conflict to find an agreement, Putin stated, as reported by Breitbart.
However, similar approaches have been attempted and failed in the past. President Trump, during his first term, withdrew the U.S. from a treaty after Iran violated the agreement's terms and misused the funds it received from the deal. The war in Ukraine has since transformed Iran into a close ally of Russia, with Tehran believed to have supplied advanced attack drones and missiles, potentially overshadowing Moscow's previous interest in preventing the emergence of a new nuclear-armed power.
Russia has a long history of involvement in Iran's nuclear program, having constructed Iran's first nuclear power plant, Bushehr. Hundreds of Russian atomic scientists and engineers are employed at the facility. Putin has assured the Israeli government that these Russian citizens will not be harmed in the conflict. Iran is also a member of the Beijing-Moscow-led BRICS organisation, created by Moscow as a counterweight to the G7.
Despite Russia's vested interest in Iran, the Kremlin has repeatedly expressed its readiness to mediate talks. Kremlin spokesman Yury Ushakov confirmed Putin's willingness to mediate if necessary during a call with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Dmitry Peskov, Putin's personal spokesman, emphasized Russia's good relations with both parties involved in the conflict.
"President Putin definitely has a great potential for some kind of mediation. We retain partner ties with Iran as well as very equable, stable, trusting relations with Israel, Peskov said. He also noted the sizable Russian-speaking community in Israel, primarily Jewish migrs who left the former Soviet Union after the end of the Cold War.
Peskov commended U.S. President Donald Trump for his efforts to promote talks, stating, President Putin sincerely appreciates Trumps readiness to help find a solution to this ongoing crisis, as well as the efforts that he and his team are making. Such support is very significant.
However, the Kremlin's stance towards the United States and Iran has generally been more frosty. Maria Zakharova, Spokeswoman for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, cautioned America against military intervention, which she described as an "extremely dangerous step with truly unpredictable negative consequences."
"We would like to especially warn Washington against military intervention in the situation, which would be an extremely dangerous step with truly unpredictable negative consequences The priority today is to halt the escalation of violence, achieve a ceasefire, and restore peace," Zakharova said.
President Trump has expressed skepticism about Russia's attempts to mediate the Israel-Iran conflict, suggesting that Putin should focus on resolving his own issues first. Trump's comments came in the context of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
"...its so Stupid I spoke to [Putin] yesterday and I said, you know, he actually offered to help mediate, and I said do me a favour, mediate your own, lets mediate Russia first, OK? I say Vladimir, lets mediate Russia first, you can worry about this later, Trump said.
Trump also provided insight into his consistent assertion that the death toll in the Russia-Ukraine war is higher than figures released by Kyiv, Moscow, or Western observers. He stated, The big thing with that one is far more people are dead than have been reported in the Russia-Ukraine, many, many more people.
As the situation continues to unfold, the world watches to see if Russia's proposed mediation will bring about a peaceful resolution, or if it will follow the path of previous failed attempts. The role of the United States in this conflict, and its response to Russia's involvement, will undoubtedly play a significant part in the outcome.
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