Russia is watching Israel’s bombardment of Iran with mounting concern for the survival of a key ally, though the Kremlin recognizes it has few levers to influence the escalating conflict in the Middle East.

When Israel first started bombing Iran, many in Russia saw it as an opportunity, a means of drawing support and attention away from Ukraine.

"The military standoff needs to stop in order to stabilize the situation," Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabko said.

Pres. Trump is on the world stage in Canada with Canadian Prime Minster Mark Carney and the other G7 leaders for a two-day summit amid rising international tensions.

Before heading into a meeting with Carney, Trump said expelling Russian President Vladimir Putin from the group, then called G8, was a mistake He also said he feels a US-Canada trade deal is achievable but he won't give up his belief in tariffs Trump's one-on-one with Carney comes amid tensions between Washington and Ottawa over trade and security Edited by Brandon Livesay with chief North America correspondent Gary O’Donoghue and Jessica Murphy at the G7 in Alberta It's the inaugural gathering for several key leaders,

Trump has long said he would like to see the G7 return to a G8 format, bringing Moscow back into the fold as it was before Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014. “This was a big mistake. You wouldn’t have that war,