Russia's invasion of Ukraine is stirring an internal division in Lebanon. While the international community is overwhelmingly united against Moscow's assault on Kyiv, internal attitudes in Beirut have been less unanimous.
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"The United States is responsible for what is happening in Ukraine," said Hezbollah chief Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah.
"America is the one who instigated these events… and it's the people of Ukraine and Russia who are praying the price," Nasrallah said.
While the Hezbollah leader fell short of voicing total support of Moscow, he accused the West of a double standard in its approach to the ongoing war.
"This is a lesson for those who trust, rely, and bet on America," Nasrallah continued.
"We must know that the current tragedy… in Ukraine, and the dangers it poses on the rest of the world, is the responsibility of America, the big devil."
Beirut and Moscow enjoy relatively close ties, particularly between Russia and Hezbollah, which is mainly equipped with Russian weapons.
Last week, the Russian Embassy in Lebanon shared a photo of a poster supporting Putin in Beirut's southern Dahieh neighborhood, a Hezbollah stronghold.
"The Russian Federation and the embassy in Beirut want to thank the people of Lebanon for its position and support," said Russia's Ambassador to Lebanon Alexander Rudakov.
Others in Lebanon, though, called on Beirut not to choose sides, including the country's education ministry, which urged neutrality to the war, as well as residents who took to the streets.
"I am against this war, against people getting hurt. Leave us be," said Suzan Jaramani, a Ukrainian-Lebanese university teacher.
i24NEWS contributed to this report.
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