Vladimir Putin to turn Iran-Israel mediator? Russian President jumps in to resolve conflict, floats peace proposal

Russian President Vladimir Putin said this week that he reached out to Israel and Iran to try to end the week-old war. According to the Associated Press, Putin also said Russia has proposed "some ideas” for a possible settlement between the two countries that are currently being discussed.

Putin said on Friday that Moscow asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to ensure the security of Russian personnel who are working to construct two more reactors at the nuclear power plant in Iran's port of Bushehr.

The Russian President said he also raised the issue with US President Donald Trump.

“Prime Minister Netanyahu has agreed with that, and President Trump has promised to support our legitimate demands,” Putin said while answering questions on a variety of issues at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum.

Putin, a Iran-Israel mediator?

Russian President Vladimir Putin said he was not seeking to be a mediator between Iran and Israel, and was only suggesting ideas for how the countries could resolve the escalating crisis.

"We are by no means seeking to act as a mediator, we are simply suggesting ideas," Putin was quoted by AFP as saying at the economic forum in Saint Petersburg. "If they turn out to be attractive to both sides, we will only be happy," he said.

Russia failed to back ally Iran?

Putin strongly rejected allegations that Russia failed to back its ally, Tehran.

He reportedly said the Kremlin has maintained good ties with both Iran and Israel. He noted that Israel is home to nearly 2 million people from Russia and other former Soviet nations, “a factor that we always have taken into account".

Putin also said that Russia has always met its obligations to Iran, adding that Moscow has firmly backed Tehran's right for the peaceful use of nuclear energy.

While Moscow has condemned Israel's strikes, Russia has not offered military help to its ally Iran and has downplayed its obligations under a sweeping strategic partnership agreement signed just months ago.

Putin voiced concern about the spiralling conflict between Iran and Israel. He said we “are strongly worried about what's going on around the Iranian nuclear facilities and possible consequences”.

Reluctance to mediate

Putin reportedly spoke by phone with Benjamin Netanyahu and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian after Israel launched its strikes last Friday.

But the Kremlin said earlier this week that it saw a "reluctance, at least on the part of Israel, to resort to any mediation services or to embark on a peaceful path towards a settlement."

'Let's mediate Russia first...'

US President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron publicly pushed back at the idea of a mediation role for Putin.

"He actually offered to help mediate, I said: 'Do me a favor, mediate your own. Let's mediate Russia first, okay?'" Trump told reporters at the White House last week, referring to Russia's conflict with Ukraine.

"I said 'Vladimir, let's mediate Russia first, you can worry about this later," Trump was quoted by AFP as saying.

(With inputs from news agencies)