Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping have urged de-escalation in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran, following a phone conversation between the two leaders.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping have urged de-escalation in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran, following a phone conversation between the two leaders.
The presidents showed a united front in their response to the escalating crisis on Thursday, after their shared geopolitical rival, the United States, indicated it had not ruled out joining Israel’s strikes on Iran, News.Az reports citing Al Jazeera.
During the call, Xi called for “major powers” to help cool the conflict, in a thinly veiled reference to Washington. Russia, which has a strategic cooperation pact with Tehran, says it has been urging the US not to strike Iran, warning it would dramatically destabilise the region and risk a nuclear disaster.
Following the call, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters that Putin and Xi “strongly condemn Israel’s actions, which violate the UN Charter and other norms of international law”, news agencies reported.
Both leaders “fundamentally believe that there is no military solution to the current situation and issues related to Iran’s nuclear programme”, he said, adding that a solution “must be achieved exclusively through political and diplomatic means”.
