Kremlin rejects Ukraine’s claim that Russia wants to inflame tensions in Middle East

The Kremlin rebuffed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s suggestion that Russia had a vested interest in stirring up tensions in the Middle East, saying it had “absolutely no basis” in fact.

Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the conflict had been simmering for years and that Russia had ties to both the Israeli and Palestinian territories.

“Many people know the backstory, but it is so deep that not everyone already knows the nuances,” the Kremlin spokesman added, news agency Interfax reported.

“In this case, we maintain relations with both sides of this conflict,” Peskov told reporters, answering a question on whether the Kremlin shares the position of the head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, who expressed support for Palestine.

“Of course, we have long-standing historical ties with the Palestinians, we continue our contacts. Indeed, we are talking about contacts at different levels, including at a high level over time. But at the same time, we also have our relations with the state of Israel, with whom we also have a lot in common, especially the large number of our compatriots who live in this state,” he said.

Peskov said Moscow was ready to offer support to both sides but conceded there had been few successful attempts to broker peace between Israelis and Palestinians previously.

“We are ready to continue to make efforts and play our part,” he said, without giving further detail.