Russian President Vladimir Putin has stepped forward as a potential mediator in the mounting crisis between Israel and Iran, offering Moscow’s involvement in seeking a peaceful solution. His vision: an agreement that would permit Iran to pursue a non-military nuclear program while simultaneously ensuring Israeli security.

Addressing a group of senior editors from global news organizations at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin acknowledged the complexity of the standoff. “It’s a delicate issue,” he said, but added optimistically, “in my view, a solution could be found.”
Putin revealed that Russia had presented its proposals to the relevant parties, including Iran, Israel, and the United States. “We are not imposing anything on anyone; we are simply talking about how we see a possible way out of the situation. But the decision, of course, is up to the political leadership of all these countries, primarily Iran and Israel,” he said.
Despite Putin’s interest in de-escalation, he drew a firm line when asked about a potential Israeli assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. “I don’t even want to discuss such a possibility,” he stated.
Khamenei himself has dismissed Washington’s calls for surrender in the face of increasing Israeli military action and has issued a stark warning to the U.S. that any intervention would bring “irreparable damage to them.”
Russia has long balanced ties with both Israel and Iran, walking a diplomatic tightrope. The Kremlin maintains strong defense and energy ties with Tehran, while also nurturing a historically cordial relationship with Israel. Putin’s offer comes as an extension of this balancing act and follows a recent phone conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump.
According to Trump, he urged Putin to shift his attention to the ongoing war in Eastern Europe. “I said, ‘Do me a favor, mediate your own,’” Trump recalled. “I said, ‘Vladimir, let’s mediate Russia first. You can worry about this later.’”
This marked a change in tone from Trump, who had previously expressed openness to Putin’s mediation proposal in the Middle East.
Russia’s presence in Iran’s nuclear landscape runs deep. At the forum, Putin mentioned that more than 200 Russian engineers are currently working on new reactors in Bushehr, a project continuing a legacy that began with Moscow’s involvement in Iran’s first nuclear power plant.
“We agreed with the Israeli leadership that their security will be ensured,” he said, noting that Iran had not requested any military help from Russia. He further pointed out that while Russia had previously offered a complete air defense system to Tehran, “the Iranian side showed little interest.”
“Our proposal was to create a system, not isolated deliveries, but a system,” Putin said. Israel later claimed to have destroyed some of the S-300 air defense systems that Russia had supplied to Iran during strikes last year.
Turning to Ukraine, Putin took the opportunity to commend Trump’s peace stance, echoing Trump’s assertion that the war might have been avoided had he been in power. “If Trump had been the president, the conflict indeed might not have erupted,” Putin said.
Although Trump recently floated the idea of a 30-day ceasefire, Putin rejected the proposal unless Ukraine halts mobilization and the West stops supplying arms. He reiterated his readiness for dialogue with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, though he claimed that Zelenskyy had lost legitimacy after his term ended — a claim rejected by Kyiv and its Western allies.
“We are ready for substantive talks on the principles of a settlement,” Putin said, noting that previous negotiations had successfully led to prisoner exchanges and repatriation of fallen soldiers.
Putin was asked by the Associated Press about Russia condemning Israeli strikes on Iran while continuing to bombard Ukrainian cities. He defended Russia’s actions. “The strikes were carried out against military industries, not residential quarters,” he said.
However, AP journalists recently documented civilian casualties in Ukraine. Rescue workers in Kyiv have pulled more bodies from the wreckage of a nine-story building destroyed earlier in the week by a Russian missile, raising the death toll to 28.
Putin stood firm, insisting Russia would pursue its goal to “demilitarize” Ukraine. “We will not allow Ukraine to have armed forces that would threaten the Russian Federation and its people,” he declared. “And if we fail to reach a settlement, we will achieve our goals by military means.”
He issued a stern warning to Germany not to provide long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine, cautioning that doing so could pull Berlin into direct conflict with Moscow. Yet, he added, such weapons wouldn’t stop Russia’s momentum. “Our troops are advancing along the entire line of contact,” he said, adding, “If they fail to agree, the situation could change for the worse.”
Putin also pushed back against Western concerns that Russia might attack NATO nations, brushing them off as baseless. He called such fears “ravings” and pointed out that NATO’s military expenditures dwarf Russia’s defense budget.
Despite the ongoing conflict, Putin used the St. Petersburg forum to tout Russia’s economic strength and attract investment. Western leaders have largely boycotted the event since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, leaving the stage to representatives from Asia, Africa, Latin America, and BRICS nations.
Putin met with Dilma Rousseff, the current head of the New Development Bank and former Brazilian president, and is expected to hold discussions with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, as well as senior officials from China, South Africa, Bahrain, and OPEC.

{Matzav.com}