The Turkish newspaper, Cumhuriyet, reported on its Turkish language internet site on October 14, 2023, the answers of Russian MFA spokesperson, Mariya Zakharova, to the questions of Turkish journalist, Esra Karahindiba. The Q&A, which centered around the unfolding Israel-Hamas conflict, its impact on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and the effect of attempts to mediate peace negotiations in the latter took place during a joint workshop with the International Journalists Council, sponsored by TASS in Moscow.

How Could the U.S. Not Have Known Of Hamas Attack Plans?

According to the Cumhuriyet report, Zakharova first quoted a statement Hamas had made that its attack had been a year in preparation and then wondered why the United States, “which has repeatedly given Israel a security guarantee, didn’t say a single word connected with this development? Can you believe that a superpower like the U.S. that has military bases in the region, has satellites, possesses the best equipment in the fields of cyber and information, didn’t have any information concerning what was happening and was unaware of the preparation of such a huge operation?”

Zakharova proceeded to answer her own question by accusing the U.S. either of not sharing the information publicly – since it was impossible for the U.S. not to have known of the preparation of such an operation – or that the information had been shared with an unknown party/parties; and, if the latter were the case, what had happened to that information?

The Russian MFA spokesperson then attempted to prove that the U.S. handles intelligence with a cavalier attitude by accusing the U.S. of having ignored intelligence from the “Russian Special Service” forewarning the Boston Marathon terror attack. “They did not take our intelligence into consideration at all. They allowed the Tsarnaev brothers to carry out the terror attack. This is the question connected with them (in Israel) and with who was responsible?” [Translator comment: the implication appears to be that the U.S. withheld intelligence from Israel in order to wage war on Hamas through the proxy of the Israeli Defense Forces, just as Russia has charged the U.S. and its western allies of using Ukraine as a proxy to wage war against Russia.]

Two-State Solution Based On International Law vs. Military Solution Fuelled By U.S.

Zakharova continued this line of reasoning as follows: “The basic reality is this, that there is no military resolution to this very long and complicated story that has been going on for 75 years. There is a political and diplomatic solution based on international law, i.e. a two-state solution based on people’s beliefs and a solution to the situation that is just. There are numerous United Nations Security Council (UNSC) decisions that need to be implemented, there is a General Assembly resolution. And Russia has always been on the side of these international legal decisions being implemented. However, we must be honest and say this: During this entire time, the U.S. in recent years has done its best in order to destroy the international legal ground that would bring a solution to the Middle East. Whereas, what they have done most recently was to cause harm to a political solution. This was the situation, they blocked the efforts of the Middle East Quartet (consisting of the UN, EU, U.S., and Russia). They did this after February 2022. And they said that they did this because of Russia’s so-called aggression directed at Ukraine. That this, in fact, has no relationship at all with the Middle East. So, why did they obstruct the efforts of the Middle East Quartet? Because they are always on the side of a military solution. Because they are always on the side of chaos, managing the chaos. Unfortunately, they are no longer able to manage any chaos at all.” [Translator comment: Zakharova takes advantage of speaking before a group of international journalists to paint the U.S. as warmongers and the Russians as peacemakers. It is not to be overlooked that the popular Turkish newspaper, Cumhuriyet, chooses to report this particular exchange in a manner that reinforces this dichotomy. It is also to be remembered that Zakharova is responding to the questions of Turkish journalist Esra Karahindiba.]

Zakharova pressed on to further the argument for U.S. foreknowledge of Hamas’s impending incursion into Israel by claiming that not only had the U.S. withheld intelligence, but just two weeks before “the situation in the Middle East escalated,” the U.S. announced that they “had temporarily stopped their aid to Ukraine.” This she called “suspicious… because at the moment they are making [such] announcements…they are increasing weapons support to Israel.”

U.S. Actions Clear in Ukraine, Not So In The Israel-Hamas Conflict

But as for Ukraine, no such hypotheticals were necessary, because, as Zakharova explained, “it is very clear, very plain that a base was planned in Ukraine opposed to Russia and that the whole issue was organized much earlier by the U.S. and England. Whether military, human, or political, they committed many provocations. They caused regime change in Ukraine, in order to establish a purely anti-Russia and Russophobic base…But if we take a look at the situation in the Middle East, there are very many questions that need to be answered by Washington. What were they doing during this one whole year? Why didn’t they share information? What kind of intelligence did they possess?…”

However, she replied to an inquiry about whether or not the new situation in the Middle East would strengthen Russia’s hand on the Ukraine front that “we are not making such inferences, such ties concerning our resolving the situation in Ukraine. I guarantee you. Believe me.”

Mediation Out Of Russia’s Hands, U.S. Pressure On Zelensky Prevents Peace Negotiations

The Russian MFA spokesperson’s final comment was precipitated by the Turkish journalist’s question concerning mediation efforts related to Ukraine, in particular, China’s 12-article draft resolution as well as Türkiye’s mediation initiatives. Zakharova noted that Russia was “grateful for the efforts of every country, very politician, and every civil society representative who has brought an idea to the table aimed at the situation in Ukraine being solved politically.” China, she offered, was to be recognized for having created the position of special representative in order to become involved as a mediator. As for Zelensky, his hands were tied as far as entering into any sort of peace negotiations with Russia due to the pressure of the U.S., according to Zakharova. She concluded by stating that “the paths to a peaceful resolution, to agreements and diplomatic negotiations, were closed. In other words, this is no longer Russia’s problem. It’s not the mediators’ problem. This is now the problem of Ukraine, of the regime, and of the U.S.”