Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed BRICS leaders on Thursday, stating that the Middle East is on the brink of a full-scale war following a sharp rise in tensions between Israel and Iran. The Kremlin chief also faced calls to end the ongoing war in Ukraine.
The BRICS summit, held in the Russian city of Kazan and attended by over 20 leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Turkey’s Tayyip Erdogan, highlighted the depth of Russia’s relationships beyond the Western world.
Significant discussions at the summit focused on the war in Ukraine and the violence in the Middle East, although no concrete actions were proposed to resolve either conflict.
“The degree of confrontation between Israel and Iran has sharply increased. All this resembles a chain reaction and puts the entire Middle East on the brink of a full-scale war,” Putin remarked while seated next to Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Xi, in his remarks following Putin, expressed China’s desire for a political settlement in Ukraine and suggested that joint efforts by Beijing and Brasilia could provide the best chance for peace. “We need to work for an early de-escalation of the situation and pave the way for a political settlement,” he stated.
Regarding the Middle East, Xi emphasized the need for a comprehensive ceasefire in Gaza, a halt to the spread of war in Lebanon, and a return to the two-state solution that would establish states for both Israel and Palestine.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian criticized international organizations, particularly the United Nations, for their failure to end the conflict. “The flames of war continue to rage in the Gaza Strip and cities of Lebanon, and international institutions, particularly the U.N. Security Council as a driver of international peace and security, lack the necessary effectiveness to extinguish the fire of this crisis,” Pezeshkian told the BRICS.
