Putin and the Saudi Crown Prince discuss, emphasizing that the Middle East must cease fighting as soon as possible

Russian President Putin spoke with Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed on the 2nd, discussing the rapid escalation of military conflicts in the Middle East and their impacts. The Kremlin said that both sides emphasized the need to cease fire as soon as possible. According to a release from the Kremlin website, both parties expressed serious concern over the worsening military and political situation in the Middle East, civilian casualties, and the destruction of key strategic facilities, and stressed the importance of an immediate ceasefire, giving necessary consideration to the legitimate interests of all parties, and increasing political and diplomatic efforts to achieve a long-term resolution of the dispute. Putin and Crown Prince Mohammed pointed out that the current crisis has caused negative impacts on global energy security due to issues in energy extraction and transportation. Therefore, both sides emphasized the importance of Russia and Saudi Arabia collaborating within the “OPEC+” framework to stabilize the global oil market. According to the Saudi Press Agency, Putin reiterated that Russia supports Saudi Arabia in safeguarding its sovereignty and territorial security. (Xinhua)