Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed the plenary session of the third Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow, warning that developments in the Persian Gulf must not push the Palestinian issue off the international agenda. "We must not forget the problems of Palestine, which continues to suffer amid the events in the Persian Gulf," Putin said.
Reiterating Russia's unchanged stance on the conflict, Putin stressed that a lasting resolution can only be achieved through the two-state principle, which includes the establishment of a fully sovereign Palestinian state on Palestinian territory.
Putin also addressed the situation in Libya, accusing Western countries of playing a significant and destructive role in the collapse of the Libyan state. "It is clear to everyone that Western countries played an important and negative role in the destruction of the Libyan state," he said, holding Western interventions directly responsible for the country's political breakdown.
On the topic of international maritime law, Putin underlined the necessity of ensuring freedom of navigation in all regions and called for strict adherence to fundamental principles of international law. He also described the absence of any African nation among the permanent members of the UN Security Council as an injustice, calling for broad consensus in any future reform of the body.
Putin noted that Russia has military and military-technical cooperation agreements with 45 African countries and described Russia and Africa as natural allies in building a multipolar world order based on sovereign equality and mutual respect.
Turning to Ukraine, Putin said a temporary ceasefire in Oleshky, in the Kherson region, was aimed at enabling humanitarian assistance to civilians. He accused the Ukrainian side of laying mines on roads leading to the city, thereby worsening the humanitarian situation. Putin also acknowledged the contribution of US First Lady Melania Trump to organizing humanitarian aid efforts in the area.
