Russia says US actions in Middle East escalating conflicts with potentially fatal consequences

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) – Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova claimed on Wednesday that all US actions in the Middle East are escalating conflicts between Palestine and Israel, warning that this could have a "fatal result."

Responding to questions from an Anadolu correspondent at a news conference in Moscow, Zakharova said the current position of the American leadership can be described as "antisemitic."

"Both Israelis and Palestinians are Semites. Everything the US does is directed against both Israelis and Palestinians. US policy in the region leads to the death of both. Moreover, it leads to an exceptional escalation of the crisis in the Middle East, a deterioration of the general situation, and the creation of such risks for the future of the region, which can have a truly fatal result," she stressed.

She also criticized remarks by John Kirby, coordinator for strategic communications at the National Security Council in the White House, who attempted to justify Israeli killings of civilians as "unintentional."

"This could only be said by a person who has no ideas, or he had them but lost them, about decency, honor, (and) humanism. A lack of conscience may be the only justification for such statements," she remarked.

Turning to the EU’s decision to introduce a "No Russia" clause in its contracts aimed at preventing the re-export of sensitive goods, Zakharova said the goal is to undermine mutually beneficial trade and economic ties between Russia and third countries.

"It should be clear that Brussels will seek to expand the current short list of prohibited goods in the hope of undermining mutually beneficial trade and economic ties with our country, between our country and our partners, friends, including Türkiye. However, there is no doubt that, as before, such attempts by Brussels to control trade relations between third countries and Russia will only result in an administrative burden for EU experts and a decrease in their competitiveness," she stressed.

She also urged the French journalists to remember when writing articles about Russia's cooperation with African countries the states that invite and hire Russian security specialists do so on a private basis.