Putin is “playing peacemaker” in the Middle East to divert attention from the war in Ukraine — ISW
фото: Reuters
The American Institute for the Study of War reported that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is actively trying to shift the focus of the international community from Russia’s aggression against Ukraine to events in the Middle East.
This is stated in the ISW report.
Analysts say that amid the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, the Kremlin has proposed including Russia in a peaceful settlement. The initiative is an attempt to portray Russia as a “necessary international partner” and divert attention from its own aggression against Ukraine.
The key signal of this diplomatic maneuver was the telephone conversation between Putin and Donald Trump, which took place on June 14.
According to Trump, most of the conversation was devoted to the Middle East escalation, while the issue of the war in Ukraine was discussed in passing.
Putin aide Yuri Ushakov confirmed that Russia has offered to mediate in the conflict between Iran and Israel, calling it an “initiative for peace.”
At the same time, such actions are not a manifestation of peace, but a tool of information manipulation to dilute global pressure on Russia due to its actions in Ukraine.
Analysts also note that the Kremlin systematically uses foreign policy crises to legitimize itself on the international stage and weaken support for Kyiv from the West.
It was previously reported that US President Donald Trump responded favorably to Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin’s offer to mediate between Iran and Israel.
The day before, Trump had a telephone conversation with Putin , during which they discussed the situation in the Middle East and the implementation of agreements between Ukraine and the Russian Federation.
As is known, on the night of Friday, June 13, Israel launched a large-scale air strike on the territory of Iran . The targets were facilities related to the Iranian nuclear program, in particular, uranium enrichment plants in Natanz and Fordow, as well as missile bases in Kermanshah and Khorramabad. Tehran, Isfahan, Tabriz and other major cities were under attack.
An airstrike on Tehran killed more than 70 people, at least 20 of them high-ranking military personnel . According to Iranian media reports, the attacks killed key military figures in the country, including the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Hossein Salami, Chief of General Staff Mohammad Bagheri, and nuclear physicist Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi.
In response, on June 14, Iran launched hundreds of ballistic missiles and drones into Israel . Explosions rang out in the skies over Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, and air defense systems scrambled to intercept the threat. The Israel Defense Forces urged residents to take shelter. Initial reports indicate that at least several people were killed in Israel, dozens were injured, and there was damage.
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