On June 19, Russian President Vladimir Putin and General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping had a phone call lasting about an hour to discuss the escalating conflict situation in the Middle East, notably the tensions between Iran and Israel. The Kremlin said the talks were described as confidential and constructive, RT reported.
According to President Putin's foreign policy adviser, Yuri Ushakov, both Moscow and Beijing have "same approaches" to the crisis. Both leaders widely condemned Israels actions for violating the United Nations Charter and other international legal norms.
Mr. Putin informed Mr. Xi Jinping about his recent phone calls with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which were held after Israel's airstrike on targets in Iran last week.
The Russian leader reaffirmed his readiness to act as an intermediary if necessary, and the proposal was welcomed by the Chinese president, considering it a step that could help ease tensions.
Both Russia and China agree that there is no military solution to the current crisis or the problem of Iran's nuclear program. Both sides believe that only political and diplomatic solutions can solve the problem.
President Putin and President Xi Jinping also agreed to assign tasks to relevant ministries and agencies to continue to maintain close communication, while increasing information exchanges in the coming days.
The phone call comes as Israel launched a large-scale airstrike targeting nuclear and military facilities in Iran last week, leading to counterattacks from Tehran. The conflict has so far killed at least 639 people in Iran and 24 in Israel, according to the Washington-based Human Rights Organization and Israeli officials.
Immediately after the first Israeli airstrike, Russia strongly criticized and called for a reduction in the escalation of tensions. President Putin also held a phone call with US President Donald Trump last weekend, in which the two sides discussed the possibility of resuming negotiations related to the Iranian nuclear program.
