MOSCOW — Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Monday that the primary trend in the Middle East involves efforts to sideline the Palestinian issue into a "dead, hopeless impasse," remarks he made during a meeting of the Valdai International Discussion Club.
Lavrov said the peace plan promoted by U.S. President Donald Trump has not prevented recurring violence in the Gaza Strip. While Russia welcomed the plan as an initial step to end bloodshed, address hostage situations and facilitate body exchanges, he said "relapses of violence persist, and there is no clarity at all about the other components of this plan."
He emphasized that the Board of Peace, established on Trump's initiative, should focus on underlying causes of Middle East conflict. Lavrov expressed concern that the actual powers of this body remain undefined. He cited the creation of a structure reporting to the Peace Council, which includes an executive body of Palestinian technocrats, but said: "What their real powers are is unknown."
On broader regional tensions, Lavrov highlighted Moscow's interest in achieving "full normalization of relations" between Iran and Persian Gulf states. He stressed that a military approach would not guarantee regional security.
"A military solution to the situation around Iran will not ensure the security of any state," Lavrov said, advocating for a peaceful settlement. He drew a parallel to the Palestinian issue, noting a "temptation for some of the direct participants in the process to use force and finish off opponents."
Lavrov recalled that numerous initiatives emerged following the Arab Spring in 2011, a period when, he argued, "the West decided to tear apart regimes that were objectionable to it." Since then, he said, no trends have emerged that reassure those genuinely seeking to contribute to peace in the region.
Lavrov underscored Russia's commitment to implementing United Nations resolutions calling for the creation of a Palestinian state, describing unresolved statehood as a main factor fueling extremism. He previously stressed the need for intensified political and diplomatic efforts to ease Middle East and Persian Gulf tensions during discussions with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty.
