Moscow [Russia], October 11: Russian President Vladimir Putin accused the United States of "failure" in the Middle East in his first comments on the conflict between Hamas and Israel following deadly attacks launched by the Palestinian group.
"This is a clear example of the failure of Middle East policy by the United States, which has tried to monopolize regulating [the conflict] there," Putin said on Tuesday in Moscow at the start of a meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Al Sudani.
Putin said the US had not bothered to seek compromises acceptable to both sides, but instead had pushed its own ideas for a solution to the conflict and exerted pressure.
In doing so, Putin said, Washington has shown no regard for the core interests of the Palestinian people or worked to implement the United Nations resolution to create a sovereign independent Palestinian state.
Putin, who is himself waging a destructive war against Ukraine in which Russia has repeatedly been accused to targeting civilians, called on the parties to the conflict in the Middle East to show consideration for civilians. Civilian casualties should be reduced to zero if possible, said the Kremlin leader, who has been accused of war crimes.
Meanwhile, Russia is planning to withdraw from an international treaty banning nuclear weapons testing, paving the way for a possible resumption of tests, a member of the Russian parliament told the Interfax news agency on Tuesday.
Duma member AdalbyShkhagoshev said a mechanism would be decided on within a week to withdraw Russia's ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), which has never gone into force.
Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said that the move would create preconditions as they exist in the United States, which has not ratified the treaty adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1996.
Last week, Duma chairman VyacheslavVolodin announced that Russia's ratification would be withdrawn in a decision that has to be taken by the lower house of parliament.
The Kremlin has made clear that the move does not mean that nuclear testing will resume immediately. But President Vladimir Putin added that Moscow had to be able to conduct tests, just as Washington was able to. And Ryabkovemphasised that Russia would only engage in nuclear testing if the US did so as well.
Source: Qatar Tribune