By AFP
Russian President Vladimir Putin warned the BRICS summit on Thursday that the Middle East was on the verge of a full-scale war that could only be averted by the creation of an independent Palestinian state.
“The military action that started a year ago in Gaza has now spread to Lebanon. Other countries in the region are also affected,” Putin told a meeting in Kazan attended by several world leaders.
“The level of confrontation between Israel and Iran has sharply risen. This is all reminiscent of a chain reaction and puts the whole Middle East on the verge of full-scale war,” Putin said.
Violence in the Middle East will not end until the creation of an independent Palestinian state, Putin said.
“The key demand for restoring peace and stability on Palestinian territories is carrying out the two-state formula approved by the UN Security Council and General Assembly,” the Russian president said.
He added that this would be “correcting the historical injustice towards the Palestinian people”. “Until this question is resolved, it will not be possible to break the vicious circle of violence.”
In his address, Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas said Israel aims to “empty” the Gaza Strip of Palestinians, especially in the northern part where it launched a sweeping assault this month.
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday told BRICS leaders that the world was facing “serious challenges” and urged the group to be a “stabilising force”.
United Nations leader Antonio Guterres pleaded on Thursday for a “just peace” in Ukraine, calling in a speech in front of Russian President Vladimir Putin for an end to more than two years of fighting. He also demanded an “immediate ceasefire” in Gaza, the release of hostages and an “immediate cessation of hostilities” in Lebanon.
