Kremlin-'No Danger Of Russia Being Dragged In' After US Syria Strikes

Wires carrying comments from Kremlin spox Dmitri Peskov regarding the security situation in the Middle East. On the US strikes on targets in Syria, Peskov states that there is 'no danger of Russia being dragged in'. Says that the US strikes 'show broader regional tensions..this is very bad.'

• States that Hamas representatives met officials from the Foreign Ministry, not the Kremlin, during their Moscow visit that ha been strongly criticised by Israel. Peskov says that Russia 'Sees the need to hold contacts with all sides', and 'will continue dialogue with Israel'.
• With the Hamas visit, Russia could be seeking to present itself as an alternative option for mediation. Initially Turkey was seen to fill this role (should mediation even be possible), but President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's hard-line comments criticising Israel and its backers has likely ended those prospects.
• As the NYT notes, Russia has maintained something of a distance from the conflict since the Hamas attacks in 7 Oct. Rather than offering overt support for either side, President Vladimir Putin stated that the Israel-Hamas war was “a clear example of the United States’ failed policy in the Middle East", thereby painting it in West vs. Russia terms rather than Israel vs. Hamas.