- Putin expressed concern to Abbas over Palestinian civilian casualties in Gaza
- Putin reiterated Russia’s support for a two-state solution and condemned the humanitarian crisis
- Russia’s stance has strained relations with Israel, despite its attempts to position itself as a peacemaker
Russian President Vladimir Putin has informed Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas that he is “concerned” about the large number of Palestinian civilian casualties in Gaza.
In a meeting in Moscow on Tuesday, Abbas described Russia as one of the Palestinian people’s “dearest friends,” while Putin reiterated Russia’s support for a two-state solution.
Everyone is fully aware that, sadly, Russia must now protect its interests and its people with armaments in hand. But what is going on in the Middle East, particularly in Palestine, does not go unnoticed by us,” Putin stated, according to a Kremlin transcript.
And, of course, we are following with great sadness and alarm the humanitarian disaster unfolding in Palestine, he continued.
The conference takes place as regional tensions rise, with Israel bracing for retaliation attacks from Iran and Hezbollah following the assassination of high-level Hamas and Hezbollah leaders.
Invest in your future with Webull UK – get started with free shares.
Russia, which has long sought to maintain cordial relations with both Palestinian groups and Israel, has enraged Israel since the start of the Gaza war by hosting Hamas delegations and emphasizing civilian suffering in Gaza, where Israel’s campaign has killed nearly 40,000 people and displaced over 90% of the population.
While Russia has attempted to present itself as a potential peacemaker in the conflict, its energies have been chiefly directed toward Ukraine, where its soldiers have failed to overcome significant Ukrainian opposition since entering the country in February 2022.
On Tuesday, Russian state news agency TASS quoted Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov as saying that his government was “calling on everybody to refrain from escalating the situation to prevent it from turning into a disaster for all regional players.”
