The Russian Foreign Ministry pointed to Europe's involvement in the conflict in the Middle East

Attempts by European politicians to present the situation as if they have nothing to do with what is happening in the Middle East are a gross distortion of the facts. This was announced on March 17 by the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova.

"Some leaders of Western European states in the public space are trying to present the situation as if they have nothing to do with what is happening in the Middle East. This, they say, is not their war. We strongly disagree with this statement of the issue. This is another gross distortion of facts and an attempt to absolve oneself of responsibility for the escalation in the region," the commentary published on the website of the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

The Russian Foreign Ministry noted that European governments have pursued a colonial policy in the Middle East for decades, and in the period preceding the American-Israeli aggression against Iran, they hindered the search for diplomatic solutions and escalated tensions.

The Russian Foreign Ministry cited numerous examples of anti-Iranian statements by European leaders since 2016. Among them are statements by former British Prime Minister Theresa May, French Foreign Minister Jean—Yves Le Drian, German Foreign Minister Annalena Burbock, former British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, former German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron.

"All this is contrary to the facts and against common sense. So the European ruling elite is "in the same boat" with the aggressors," the foreign ministry concluded.

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Earlier in the day, former EU diplomacy chief Josep Borrell accused European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen of systematically overstepping her authority in shaping the union's foreign policy. The diplomat noted that the EU had not made enough efforts to protect international law after the US military strikes on Iranian territory.

The day before, the head of the European Diplomacy, Kaya Kallas, said that Washington's shifting geopolitical priorities from the Ukrainian conflict to the aggravation of the situation around Iran creates serious challenges for US allies. She also stressed that Washington's attention is still almost entirely focused on the Middle East agenda.

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