Putin: The Man Who Invaded Ukraine Wants to Mediate Between Israel and Iran

The Kremlin warned today that the region is plunging into an ‘abyss of instability and war’ and stated that it remains concerned and ready to mediate if necessary. The country that sparked a war wants to mediate to end another. Russia, which has close ties with Iran and maintains strong relations with Israel, has called on the U.S. not to strike Iran and urged for a diplomatic solution to the crisis surrounding Tehran’s nuclear program. In response to questions about whether Russia has any red lines regarding the situation, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the countries in the region should have their own red lines. ‘The region is plunging into an abyss of instability and war,’ Peskov said. ‘This war is fraught with (the risk of) geographic escalation and unforeseen consequences. This area is on our borders. It is potentially dangerous for us, and we are worried.’ Although Russia does not share a border with any country in the Middle East, its Northern Caucasus region borders a zone of former Soviet republics that, in turn, border Iran and Turkey. Peskov said Moscow observes that Israel currently intends to continue its military action against Iran but noted that Russia has open communication lines with both Israel and the U.S. He emphasized that it is difficult to predict whether a proposal by Putin to mediate in the crisis will be accepted or not, but stated that Moscow supports the end of the conflict and a move toward diplomacy as soon as possible. The Kremlin spokesman also mentioned that it is impossible to predict whether Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet with U.S. President Donald Trump given the current volatility of the world.