MOSCOW Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday said the surge of violence between Israel and the Palestinians showed the failure of US policy, which he said had sought to monopolise negotiations while ignoring Palestinian interests.

"I think that many people will agree with me that this is a vivid example of the failure of United States policy in the Middle East," Putin told visiting Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani.

Putin said the United States had sought to "monopolise" international efforts at forging peace in the region, and accused Washington of neglecting to seek compromises that would be acceptable to each side.

The United States, Putin said, had ignored the interests of Palestinians, including the need for an independent Palestinian state. The Palestinians want a state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip with East Jerusalem as its capital - all territory captured by Israel in the 1967 war.

The Kremlin earlier said it was in touch with both sides and would seek to play a role in resolving the conflict between them.

(Reporting by Reuters; Writing by Alexander Marrow; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)