Kremlin: Putin maintains Gulf contacts, backs diplomatic path in Middle East

Russian President Vladimir Putin remains in contact with leaders of the Gulf states and the wider Arab world, according to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, who said Moscow continues to advocate a political and diplomatic resolution to the conflict in the Middle East.

Peskov stated that the Russian leader has repeatedly conveyed this position during telephone conversations with regional counterparts and is continuing such contacts, Caliber.Az reports per Russian media. 

He said Russia stands ready to assist in efforts aimed at returning the situation involving hostilities to a peaceful course as soon as possible, describing this as Moscow’s fundamental position.

Peskov confirmed that Putin is scheduled to receive Egypt’s foreign minister at the Kremlin on April 2, where they are expected to discuss developments in the Middle East. He also indicated that the Russian president may hold an international phone call later in the day.

The Kremlin has also taken note of remarks by US President Donald Trump regarding the achievement of the war’s objectives in relation to Iran, Peskov said.

He added that holding a Russia-Arab summit in the near future appears unlikely, though such a meeting could be useful at a later stage to help mitigate the consequences of the war with Iran.

Commenting on Trump’s remarks about a possible US withdrawal from NATO, Peskov said Russia continues to view the alliance as hostile. He stated that Moscow considers NATO an “adversarial bloc that regards Russia as its enemy and takes actions it sees as hostile.”

By Sabina Mammadli