Putin: The Killing of Thousands of Innocent People in the Middle East Cannot Be Justified

Russian President Vladimir Putin held the West responsible for the crisis in the Middle East on Monday, as Israel bombards the Gaza Strip in an attempt to eliminate Hamas militants. In a televised statement before a meeting with Russian Security Council members, the government, and law enforcement agency heads, he stated, "There is no way to help the Palestinians except by fighting those behind the conflict, and we are fighting them in Ukraine." He added, "Western intelligence agencies and Ukraine have helped fuel the unrest in Dagestan through social media," emphasizing that the key to solving the issue in Palestine is the establishment of a state. He accused the ruling elites in America of being "behind the massacre of Palestinians and the events in the Middle East, Ukraine, Iraq, and Syria." He stated, "Those elites do not need peace in the Holy Land; they need chaos."