This article was originally published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and is reprinted with permission.
Vladimir Putin plans to meet with his Iranian counterpart, Masud Pezeshkian, this week amid fears the crisis in the Middle East threatens to spin out of control.
Official Russian news agencies quoted presidential aide Yury Ushakov on October 7 as saying the two leaders will meet in the Turkmen capital, Ashgabat, on October 11.
Ushakov added that Putin also plans to hold talks with Pezeshkian at the BRICS summit in the Russian city of Kazan that runs on October 22-24.
The announcements signal continued cooperation between the two countries amid the ongoing Middle East crisis.
Ushakov did not elaborate on the meetings but added that Putin has no plans to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding the escalating situation in the region.
The absence of a planned meeting with Netanyahu suggests Russia’s current diplomatic focus may be more aligned with its partnerships within the BRICS framework, of which Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, as well as Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates, are members, rather than direct involvement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Israel marked the first anniversary of the October 7 attack by Hamas that killed more than 1,200 people and saw some 250 people taken hostage as the Israeli military continued its massive air strikes on Beirut and its incursion into southern Lebanon intended to destroy the Iran-allied Hezbollah militant group.
Hamas has been designated a terrorist group by the United States and the European Union.
Hezbollah is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, while the European Union blacklists its armed wing but not its political party. Hezbollah’s political party has seats in the Lebanese parliament.
The conflict in Gaza is still raging as Israel opens the second front in southern Lebanon against Hezbollah.
