Middle East on the brink of full-scale war: Russian President Vladimir Putin

Kazan: Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the BRICS summit on Thursday that the Middle East is on the brink of full-scale war.

“The military action that began in Gaza a year ago has now spread to Lebanon. Other countries in the region are also affected,” Putin said at a meeting held in Kazan in the presence of several world leaders.

“The level of confrontation between Israel and Iran has grown sharply. All this is reminiscent of a chain reaction and brings the entire Middle East to the brink of full-scale war,” Putin said.

At the summit held in the presence of Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, Putin said violence in the Middle East will not end until an independent Palestinian state is created.

“The main demand for restoring peace and stability in the Palestinian territories is the implementation of the two-state formula approved by the UN Security Council and the General Assembly,” the Russian president said. He added that this would “correct the historical injustice towards the Palestinian people”. “Until this question is resolved, it will not be possible to break the vicious circle of violence.”