Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on Thursday strongly condemned Israeli attacks on Iran during a phone call, emphasizing the need for a diplomatic resolution to the escalating conflict. Both Moscow and Beijing confirmed their shared stance on the ongoing hostilities.
Israel has launched an unprecedented wave of strikes at Iranian nuclear and military facilities, as well as residential areas, prompting Tehran to respond with its own attacks using missiles and drones.
Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov informed reporters after the call that Putin and Xi “strongly condemn Israel’s actions.” He added that both leaders fundamentally believe that the end to the hostilities “should be achieved exclusively by political and diplomatic means.”
Chinese state media reported that Xi told Putin a ceasefire was the “top priority” and urged Israel to halt its attacks. According to China’s state news agency Xinhua, Xi stated, “Promoting a ceasefire and cessation of hostilities is the top priority. Armed force is not the correct way to resolve international disputes.” He further added, “Parties to the conflict, especially Israel, should cease hostilities as soon as possible to prevent a cyclical escalation and resolutely avoid the spillover of the war.”
Putin has positioned himself as a potential mediator between the warring sides. Russia maintains close ties with Iran, having boosted military cooperation amid its ongoing offensive in Ukraine, while also striving to maintain good relations with Israel. Last week, Putin held separate phone calls with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, offering his services as a peacemaker.
The Kremlin stated that Xi had expressed support for such mediation, believing “that it could serve to de-escalate the current situation,” Ushakov said. However, Western leaders, including U.S. President Donald Trump and France’s Emmanuel Macron, have pushed back against the idea of Putin mediating the conflict given his own military actions in Ukraine.
“He actually offered to help mediate, I said: ‘do me a favor, mediate your own’,” Trump told reporters on Wednesday regarding Putin’s efforts. “Let’s mediate Russia first, okay? I said, Vladimir, let’s mediate Russia first, you can worry about this later.”
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