Moscow accuses West of seeking to push Russia, China, Iran into secondary role in Syria

ISTANBUL

The Russian foreign minister on Tuesday accused Western nations of attempting to push Russia, China, and Iran into secondary roles in Syria, warning that such efforts are not driven by good intentions.

Speaking at the 14th Middle East Conference of the Valdai Discussion Club in Moscow, Sergey Lavrov said these moves reflect the West’s broader goal of diminishing its geopolitical competitors.

“Attempts to remove Russia, China, and Iran from the process of externally supporting a Syrian settlement are hardly motivated by goodwill. Instead, they expose the West’s intention to push its competitors into secondary positions,” he said.

Lavrov also accused Western nations, particularly the US, of creating crises and observing the outcomes from a distance.

“The West is used to destroying something, creating crises, and then watching what happens, especially the Americans, who find it interesting to observe from across the ocean,” he said. “But the Middle East is not a playground, and it should not be treated as one.”

Gaza ceasefire

Lavrov welcomed the ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza, acknowledging the efforts to reach an agreement after prolonged negotiations at the UN Security Council.

“Of course, it is good that a ceasefire has been achieved after almost a year of efforts,” he said, noting that despite the truce, casualties continue to rise.

He further accused Israel of not intending to leave the territories it is occupying in Lebanon and Syria, saying there are also many "credible leaks" that, in addition to expelling Palestinians from Gaza, Israel plans to take full control of the northwest bank of the Jordan River.

Lavrov stressed the creation of a Palestinian state as "the key to all the numerous problems" in the Middle East.

He also expressed that the US, under President Donald Trump, has not yet clearly stated its position on the topic of a two-state solution in the region.

Moscow is receiving signals that there will be problems in the implementation of the second stage of the ceasefire in Gaza, Lavrov added.

Following months of brutal Israeli military attacks in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli government and Hamas signed a deal last month to cease hostilities and exchange Israeli hostages in Gaza with Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

Under the three-stage agreement, lasting 42 days per phase, Israel agreed to release between 1,700 and 2,000 Palestinian and Arab detainees in exchange for 33 Israeli captives in Gaza, whether alive or deceased.

Israel’s genocidal war has killed more than 47,500 Palestinians, most of them women and children, and injured over 111,600 since Oct. 7, 2023.​​​​​​​