The current conflict in the Middle East is the result of the United States' "contradictory" foreign policy in the region, French academic and geopolitical analyst Nicola Mirkovic told Sputnik.
"The diplomatic record of the US is catastrophic. The firemen have unwillingly spread the fire. The present chaos is more the result of contradictory moves and a botched diplomacy, showing the frantic character of their initiatives in the Middle East. The US conquered Iraq but admitted later that they had not really thought about the re-organization of the country in time. Iraq is now again a powder keg. The same [goes] for Libya," Mirkovic said.
At the same time, the expert noted Russia's sensible approach to the crisis but suggested that Moscow should work with a Global South country like Brazil to promote its position more effectively.
"The positions defined by [Russian President] Vladimir Putin and [Russian Foreign Minister] Sergey Lavrov these last few weeks and days are full of common sense. Still, with the present conflict in Ukraine, it would be best if the Russian proposals were carried by a neutral and friendly country in the South, so that Russia can’t be accused of trying to replace the hegemony of the US with its own, while putting its diplomatic network at play to push the moderate Russian proposal at best. Why not Brazil and [Brazilian President Luiz Inacio] Lula da Silva taking the lead of a coalition for peace, pushed by Russia?" Mirkovic said.
On October 7, the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas launched a surprise large-scale rocket attack against Israel from the Gaza Strip and breached the border, killing and abducting over 200 people in neighboring Israeli communities.
Israel launched retaliatory strikes and ordered a complete blockade of Gaza, home to more than 2 million people, cutting off supplies of water, food and electricity. The conflict escalation has resulted in thousands of people killed and injured on both sides.
Putin addressed the Middle Eastern conflict at a meeting with Russian security officials on Monday, saying that the United States needs constant crisis in the region, and this is the reason why it discredits the countries and organizations which call for ending the bloodshed, including the United Nations. Regarding the conflict between Israel and Hamas, Putin said that the key to resolving the conflict lies in the "creation of a sovereign independent Palestinian state."