ISTANBUL The Russian foreign ministry accused Western nations on Tuesday of aiming to reduce Russia, China, and Iran to secondary positions in Syria, saying that such actions are not motivated by good intentions. Sergey Lavrov, speaking at the 14th Middle East Conference of the Valdai Discussion Club in Moscow, stated that these efforts reflect the West’s overall goal of weakening its geopolitical rivals. “Attempts to exclude Russia, China, and Iran from the process of internationally backing a Syrian settlement are not driven by good will. Instead, they reveal the West’s determination to force its competitors into second place,” he said. Lavrov also accused Western countries, particularly the United States, of instigating crises and viewing the results from afar. “The West is used to trashing stuff and causing crises and observing the outcomes from a distance.

“The West is used to destroying something, creating crises, and then watching what happens, especially the Americans, who find it interesting to observe from across the ocean,” he said. “But the Middle East is not a playground, and it should not be treated as one

.”Gaza ceasefire Lavrov praised Israel’s cease-fire agreement with the Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza, appreciating the efforts made to reach an agreement following lengthy UN Security Council deliberations. “Of course, it is good that a ceasefire has been achieved after almost a year of efforts,” he added, stressing that casualties continue to mount despite the truce. He also accused Israel of not planning to leave the regions it now occupies in Lebanon and Syria, claiming that there are many “credible leaks” indicating, in addition to displacing Palestinians from Gaza, Israel intends to take complete control of the Jordan River’s northwest bank. Lavrov emphasized the establishment of a Palestinian state as “the key to all the numerous problems” in the Middle East He also expressed that the US, under President Donald Trump, has not yet clearly stated its position on the topic of a two-state solution in the region.

According to Lavrov, Moscow is gathering indications that the second stage of the Gaza truce will be difficult to implement. Following months of deadly Israeli military attacks on the Gaza Strip, the Israeli government and Hamas reached an agreement last month to end hostilities and exchange Israeli captives in Gaza for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. Under the three-stage agreement, which lasted 42 days each, Israel committed to free 1,700 to 2,000 Palestinian and Arab detainees in exchange for 33 Israeli hostages in Gaza, whether alive or dead. Since October 7, 2023, Israel’s murderous war has killed approximately 47,500 Palestinians, the majority of whom are women and children, and injured more than 111,600.