Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday praised the Iranian people for their courageous struggle to maintain independence in the face of pressure from the United States and Israel, and said Moscow would do everything possible to assist Tehran.
Russia's Mediation Efforts
Russia has offered to mediate to help restore calm in West Asia following US and Israeli strikes, which Moscow has strongly condemned. It has also repeatedly proposed storing Iran's enriched uranium as a way to defuse tensions, a suggestion that Washington has rejected.
"We see how courageously and heroically the Iranian people are fighting for their independence and sovereignty," Putin told Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who was in Saint Petersburg on the fourth leg of a diplomatic tour. Putin expressed hope that Iranians would overcome what he called a "difficult period" and that peace would prevail. "For our part, we will do everything that serves your interests and the interests of all the peoples of the region to ensure that peace is achieved as quickly as possible," Putin said.
Strategic Partnership
Putin received Araghchi in the presidential library in Russia's former imperial capital, St. Petersburg. Sources from mediator Pakistan indicated that efforts to bridge gaps between the US and Iran were ongoing. Putin mentioned that he had received a message from Iran's new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, last week and asked Araghchi to convey Russia's intention to continue its strategic partnership with Tehran.
Araghchi, who said he wanted to brief Putin on the situation in his country, thanked the Russian leader for Moscow's support. "It has also been proven to all that Iran has friends and allies, such as the Russian Federation, who stand by Iran precisely in difficult times," he said. Iran's top diplomat blamed Washington for the failure of peace talks, stating, "The US approaches caused the previous round of negotiations, despite progress, to fail to reach its goals because of excessive demands."
