Russia, fighting its own war, takes a neutral stance on Israel and Gaza

In Russia, the Kremlin adopted a neutral line in its first comments on the conflict in Israel and Gaza — a sign of how Moscow’s relationship with Israel has deteriorated since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The Kremlin’s spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, told reporters Monday that Russia was “extremely concerned” and called for an immediate halt to the fighting. “The continuation of this round of violence, of course, is fraught with further escalation and an expansion of this conflict,” Peskov said.

He did not condemn the attack by Hamas or offer condolences to the victims, even though the Kremlin often made statements of condolence after attacks in Israel in years past. Peskov said Putin did not have immediate plans to speak to Israeli or Palestinian leaders — a striking departure from past Middle East crises in which Putin cast himself as a regional power broker.

The Kremlin’s distant stance appears to reflect the geopolitical shifts amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a war that has brought Russia closer to Iran, a key backer of Hamas. Iran has emerged as crucial to Russia’s war effort by providing armed drones and support in evading international sanctions.

Russian officials have also voiced anger at Israel and at Jewish organizations for not supporting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, citing Putin’s false narrative that Ukraine is run by Nazis. That frustration also represents a shift for Putin, who long promoted Jewish life in Russia and closer ties to Israel, and built a close relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.