ME conflict to have 'devastating' consequences: Kremlin

ISTANBUL:

The Kremlin said on Sunday that the US-Israeli aggression in the Middle East caused devastating consequences for the global economy, which will have a long-term impact.

Speaking to Russian state news agency Tass, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "We are now seeing extremely devastating consequences of this war for the global economy and for regional geopolitics. "These consequences will probably not be short-term; they will have a long-term effect."

Russia had not yet made a decision on joining the Board of Peace, established by US President Donald Trump, he said, adding that "the concept appears less relevant than before against the backdrop of US aggression in the Middle East."

The Board of Peace was officially established in January, when 19 countries signed its charter in Davos. Initially, the structure was created to manage the Gaza Strip as part of agreements between Israel and Hamas, but Washington is actively promoting the idea of using the body to prevent and resolve conflicts in other regions.

Commenting on the visit of Russian lawmakers to the US and the meetings held there, Peskov said the trip was "useful," and the Kremlin hopes that contacts between Russian and US parliamentarians will continue.

"Of course, this trip is very useful," he said. "We hope that these contacts will be followed by new ones, perhaps more substantive," he said.

A group of five Russian deputies visited the US at the invitation of US Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna this week.