Russian President Vladimir Putin warned at the BRICS summit in the Russian city of Kazan on Thursday that the Middle East was on the brink of all-out war, following escalating tensions between Israel and Iran. Putin's comments came as Russia faces international calls to end the war in Ukraine.

The summit, attended by more than 20 leaders including Chinese President Xi Jinping, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, focused heavily on the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. However, it did not produce any specific steps to end either war.

For his part, Xi stressed the need to reach a political settlement to the conflict in Ukraine, noting that the joint efforts of Beijing and Brasilia may be the most important opportunity to achieve peace. He also called for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, and the return of the two-state solution.

Criticism of international organizations

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, during his participation in the summit, criticized international organizations, especially the United Nations, for their failure to stop the conflicts in the region. Pezeshkian said, "The fires of war are still burning in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, while international institutions lack the necessary effectiveness to extinguish this crisis."

In turn, Putin stressed the need to find a permanent solution to the Palestinian issue, adding that if the Palestinians do not obtain their independent state, the "historical injustice" will continue, and the Middle East will remain in a state of permanent tension.

The BRICS leaders issued a statement during the summit in which they affirmed their support for the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state within the 1967 borders. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas attended the summit to participate in these discussions.

Speaking about the situation in Ukraine, Putin renewed his warnings about international efforts to defeat Russia, describing these attempts as "delusional" and not based on a correct understanding of Russia's history. These statements came as Russia faces increasing international pressure to end the war in Ukraine.

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UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres attended the summit, calling for a "just peace" in Ukraine in line with the UN Charter and international law. He also called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon, and stressed the need for peace in other tense areas such as Sudan.

Putin warned that the situation in the Middle East is rapidly deteriorating, noting that the conflict could spread to other countries in the region, and that the confrontation between Israel and Iran is becoming more dangerous. The Russian president stressed that the main task now is to launch a comprehensive political process to solve the problems in the Middle East.