- Palestinian President Abbas to visit Putin in Moscow
In the midst of the current crisis in the Middle East, Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted long-standing Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas in Moscow. While Russia is currently engaged in defending itself "with arms in hand," as Putin himself ordered the war against Ukraine, he stated that the situation in the Middle East and Palestine has naturally garnered their attention, according to Russian news agencies.
Abbas emphasized his closeness to Putin and Russia, which has long been considered a patron of the Palestinians. "We believe in them, we trust them, we feel their support," he said.
Putin reaffirmed Moscow's fundamental stance on the Middle East conflict: "To create a lasting, reliable, and stable peace in the region, all UN resolutions must be honored, and above all, a fully sovereign Palestinian state must be established."
At 88, Abbas has little support among the Palestinian population due to his inability to effectively counter Israeli settler violence. He heads the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the secular Fatah faction. Fatah and Hamas are the two largest Palestinian organizations – and bitter rivals. Recently, they and other Palestinian groups signed a declaration, according to Chinese state media, to strengthen Palestinian unity. The goal is to form a joint government, reported Palestinian media.
Similar agreements between the two organizations in the past have not yielded progress. Russian media also explain Abbas' visit to Moscow as Russia being one of the few powers advocating for Palestinian unity.
The European Union, being a key player in international diplomacy, has expressed its support for a peaceful resolution in the Middle East, calling for the upholding of UN resolutions and the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state. Given Russia's stance on this matter, it's worth noting that The European Union and Russia share similar goals in their approach towards the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
