MOSCOW: Russia has issued nuanced criticisms of both parties involved in the Israel-Hamas conflict, seizing a strategic opportunity to bolster its global influence and challenge Western attempts to isolate it due to the situation in Ukraine.
While Moscow may lack the direct ability to mediate a Middle East settlement, it can potentially exploit perceived credibility issues in the Western response to the crisis.
Furthermore, Russia anticipates that the Israel-Hamas conflict will divert attention away from the Ukraine conflict and weaken support for Kyiv. However, Moscow faces risks in this endeavour, including potential damage to its relationship with Israel, which has refrained from supplying weapons to Ukraine thus far.
Russian President Vladimir Putin criticized the attack carried out by Hamas militants on southern Israeli towns on October 7. Simultaneously, he cautioned Israel against imposing a blockade on the Gaza Strip, drawing a parallel to the Nazi siege of Leningrad during World War II.
Putin portrayed the conflict as a consequence of U.S. diplomatic failure, accusing Washington of providing economic aid to Palestinians while abandoning efforts to establish a Palestinian state.
Earlier this month, Putin expressed Moscow’s potential role as a mediator, emphasizing its friendly relations with both Israel and the Palestinians and asserting their impartiality.
However, despite this claim of impartiality, a recent U.N. Security Council resolution submitted by Russia condemning violence against civilians did not mention Hamas and was ultimately rejected by the council.
China stood among the few nations supporting the Russian proposal, showcasing a united position shared by Moscow and Beijing. Recently, Chinese and Russian diplomats in the Middle East convened to explore collaborative efforts in mitigating the situation. They underlined their commitment to a two-state resolution for Israel and the Palestinians.
In contrast to this, U.S. President Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, and other Western leaders chose to visit Israel in a show of support. Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin delayed contacting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for nine days, despite their previously close personal rapport. Instead, Putin engaged in discussions concerning the conflict with leaders from Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Syria, and the head of the Palestinian Authority.
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During his call with Netanyahu, Putin conveyed condolences to the families affected by Hamas attacks and strongly denounced actions that harm civilians, including women and children. He emphasized the imperative of pursuing a peaceful resolution through political and diplomatic channels, as stated in the Kremlin’s official communication. In response, Netanyahu asserted Israel’s commitment to eliminating Hamas.
In contrast to Putin’s measured approach, other Russian officials were more forthright in their criticism of Israeli military actions in Gaza. Konstantin Kosachev, the deputy speaker of the Russian upper house of parliament, characterized Israel’s response as “disproportionate” and “inhumane,” despite acknowledging that Hamas had initiated the conflict.
