Dmitry Peskov said, "The differences between the United States and Russia on the Lebanon crisis are not strategically very large; both Russia and the United States are against terrorist attacks wherever they may come from. We are against the use of force and any forms of terrorism."
Israel launched a military operation in Lebanon after Lebanon-based Islamist group Hizbollah took two Israelis hostage on Wednesday. At least 55 Lebanese civilians were killed. Israeli aircraft also bombed the Gaza Strip.
President Vladimir Putin Friday condemned hostage taking as a means of resolving problems and the use of force in response to such actions.
"We will urge all the sides involved in the conflict to stop the bloodshed immediately," he said.
Putin said he planned to discuss the issue with U.S. President George Bush, who arrived Friday in St. Petersburg for a summit of the Group of Eight industrialized nations and bilateral talks with his Russian counterpart.
