The Russian President's envoy to the Middle East and Africa, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, announced that Moscow greatly appreciates the initiative of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to hold the "Cairo Peace Summit."
“The outbreak of unprecedented violence in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict zone is leading to a catastrophic increase in the number of civilian casualties on both sides,” Bogdanov said.
He added: "Russian diplomacy is making intensive efforts to calm the situation. We have sent a message to all concerned parties that there is a need for an immediate ceasefire and the provision of humanitarian corridors in order to urgently provide assistance to all those in need."
He continued: "We put forward a draft resolution in the UN Security Council demanding the implementation of urgent measures to stop the violence. Unfortunately, due to the negative position of the United States, the UN Security Council was unable to achieve the main purpose of its charter, which is to maintain international peace and security."
He stressed that in addition to resolving the urgent tasks of ending the current round of violence, it is necessary to immediately begin agreeing on a collective action strategy for a political settlement of the conflict, a task that the “Quartet” of international mediators consisting of Russia, the United States and the European Union have worked on in the past. And the United Nations.
Russia circulated a draft resolution earlier in the Security Council calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict zone. The document also strongly condemns acts of violence and hostilities against civilians, and all terrorist acts, but the Security Council met with rejection .
The UN Security Council also failed, after the United States used its veto power, to adopt a Brazilian draft resolution requiring a halt to Israeli orders to evacuate residents of the northern Gaza Strip to its south, and calling for a humanitarian truce and the establishment of safe corridors.
Former German Chancellor: Crimea is part of Russian history
Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder confirmed to the Berliner Zeitung newspaper, while commenting on a hypothetical plan to resolve the Ukrainian conflict, that the Crimean Peninsula is part of Russian history.
Schroeder said: "Crimea, since when has Crimea been Russia? For Russia, Crimea is not just a region, but part of its history."
He pointed out that Ukraine should also not try to become a member of NATO , especially since Kiev is not yet able to meet the conditions for joining the alliance.
He added: "Ukraine also needs security guarantees. The UN Security Council, in addition to Germany, must provide them."
Schroeder was subjected to sharp criticism in Germany after the start of the Russian special military operation in Ukraine for maintaining his contacts with Russia. He was deprived of some of the privileges granted to him.