๐ Middle East Crisis: Can a New Round of Escalation Be Avoided?
On October 2, a discussion dedicated to the aggravation of the situation in the Middle East was held at the Valdai Discussion Club. The event was moderated by Programme Director Andrey Sushentsov.
๐ฌ Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to Lebanon Alexander Rudakov noted that the country is at the intersection of almost the entire spectrum of Middle Eastern problems, suffering from ethno-confessional tensions, a profound economic and political crisis, an influx of refugees, and in the last year โ from an armed confrontation with Israel, which has escalated into a local hybrid war since September. According to the diplomat, this conflict is more deadly and severe than the previous Lebanese-Israeli war, and apparently, this is not the end yet. โLebanon is literally boiling,โ he emphasised, adding that the only alternative to negative scenarios is an immediate ceasefire and negotiations with a diplomatic outcome, โwhatever it may be.โ
๐ฌ Adviser to the President of Lebanon Amal Abou Zeid called Israel's actions a disregard for international law and an attack on all Lebanese. He pointed out the connection between the Middle East crisis and the Ukrainian one. In his opinion, both were the result of Americaโs desire to rule the world alone and dictate its rules to everyone else. โLebanon is currently under attack. The Western community has remained completely deaf to its problems,โ Abu Zeid said, adding that the country is currently in the same situation as the Gaza Strip. He also emphasised that further escalation of the conflict could, if it engulfs other countries, lead to World War III.
๐ฌ According to Ruslan Mamedov, Research Director of the Evgeny Primakov Centre for International Cooperation and Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Middle East is currently undergoing a transformation of its security architecture, and its countries are seeking to secure their position in the future regional order. He noted that attempts to achieve a win-win situation associated with the signing of the Abraham Accords have failed. โToday, in 2024, we find ourselves in a situation between a zero-sum game and a lose-lose situation,โ said Mamedov. The region is caught between Iran, which is trying to maintain the status quo, and Israel, which is seeking to expand its space.
๐ฌ Adlan Margoev, Research Fellow at the Institute of International Studies at MGIMO University, spoke about Iranโs role in what is happening. He noted that Iranโs behaviour as a whole appears predictable and that the Iranian leadership, whether โreformersโ or โconservatives,โ demonstrates a clear lack of interest in the conflict, reacting to any incidents with the utmost restraint. It can be said that the new Iranian administration is waiting for the American elections to resume dialogue on the Iranian nuclear programme and the lifting of sanctions, but, apparently, the main factor for Tehran is the desire to avoid a major new war similar to the Iran-Iraq war.
https://valdaiclub.com/events/posts/articles/middle-east-crisis-can-a-new-round-of-escalation-be-avoided/
#Return_of_Diplomacy #Lebanon #MiddleEast
๐ฃ ๐ฃ ๐ฃ
On October 2, a discussion dedicated to the aggravation of the situation in the Middle East was held at the Valdai Discussion Club. The event was moderated by Programme Director Andrey Sushentsov.
๐ฌ Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to Lebanon Alexander Rudakov noted that the country is at the intersection of almost the entire spectrum of Middle Eastern problems, suffering from ethno-confessional tensions, a profound economic and political crisis, an influx of refugees, and in the last year โ from an armed confrontation with Israel, which has escalated into a local hybrid war since September. According to the diplomat, this conflict is more deadly and severe than the previous Lebanese-Israeli war, and apparently, this is not the end yet. โLebanon is literally boiling,โ he emphasised, adding that the only alternative to negative scenarios is an immediate ceasefire and negotiations with a diplomatic outcome, โwhatever it may be.โ
๐ฌ Adviser to the President of Lebanon Amal Abou Zeid called Israel's actions a disregard for international law and an attack on all Lebanese. He pointed out the connection between the Middle East crisis and the Ukrainian one. In his opinion, both were the result of Americaโs desire to rule the world alone and dictate its rules to everyone else. โLebanon is currently under attack. The Western community has remained completely deaf to its problems,โ Abu Zeid said, adding that the country is currently in the same situation as the Gaza Strip. He also emphasised that further escalation of the conflict could, if it engulfs other countries, lead to World War III.
๐ฌ According to Ruslan Mamedov, Research Director of the Evgeny Primakov Centre for International Cooperation and Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Middle East is currently undergoing a transformation of its security architecture, and its countries are seeking to secure their position in the future regional order. He noted that attempts to achieve a win-win situation associated with the signing of the Abraham Accords have failed. โToday, in 2024, we find ourselves in a situation between a zero-sum game and a lose-lose situation,โ said Mamedov. The region is caught between Iran, which is trying to maintain the status quo, and Israel, which is seeking to expand its space.
๐ฌ Adlan Margoev, Research Fellow at the Institute of International Studies at MGIMO University, spoke about Iranโs role in what is happening. He noted that Iranโs behaviour as a whole appears predictable and that the Iranian leadership, whether โreformersโ or โconservatives,โ demonstrates a clear lack of interest in the conflict, reacting to any incidents with the utmost restraint. It can be said that the new Iranian administration is waiting for the American elections to resume dialogue on the Iranian nuclear programme and the lifting of sanctions, but, apparently, the main factor for Tehran is the desire to avoid a major new war similar to the Iran-Iraq war.
https://valdaiclub.com/events/posts/articles/middle-east-crisis-can-a-new-round-of-escalation-be-avoided/
#Return_of_Diplomacy #Lebanon #MiddleEast
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Valdai Club
Middle East Crisis: Can a New Round of Escalation Be Avoided?
On October 2, a discussion dedicated to the aggravation of the situation in the Middle East was held at the Valdai Discussion Club. The event was moderated by Programme Director Andrey Sushentsov.
โHow can we define the new political reality in Moldova and Georgia?
โWhat will be their development vector and interaction with Russia?
โWhat, in addition to solving socio-economic problems, influences the foreign policy trends of the post-Soviet countries today?
The participants in the discussion will try to answer these and other questions.
Links to the live broadcast of the discussion will be posted on all online platforms of the Valdai Club: on the website, X (formerly Twitter), VK, Telegram and Dzen.
#Return_of_Diplomacy #Moldova #Georgia
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https://vk.com/video-214192832_456239228
#Return_of_Diplomacy #Moldova #Georgia
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VK ะะธะดะตะพ
LIVE: A New Dream? Elections in Moldova and Georgia as a Marker on the Road to Sovereignty. An Expert Discussion
On November 20 at 16:00 Moscow Time (GMT+3), the Valdai Club will host an expert discussion, titled โA New Dream? Elections in Moldova and Georgia as a Marker on the Road to Sovereigntyโ. More: https://valdaiclub.com/multimedia/video/elections-in-moldovaโฆ
#Return_of_Diplomacy #Moldova #Georgia
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