JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met Russian President Vladmir Putin on Thursday, restating his mistrust of Washington in resolving the conflict with Israel and expressing appreciation for Russia’s role.
Abbas reiterated his support for the so-called Quartet of international mediators – Russia, the United States, the United Nations and the European Union – but said the United States could not be left a free hand to act alone.
“We don’t trust America and you know our position. We don’t trust it, we don’t rely on it, and under no circumstances can we accept that America is the sole party in resolving a problem,” Abbas told Putin at the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in Kazakhstan.
“It can be within the Quartet since it is a great country but we will never accept it as the only one,” he said, in televised remarks.
The comments echo the 87 year-old Palestinian leader’s longstanding suspicion of the United States, Israel’s main ally, but come as President Joe Biden has stepped up efforts to isolate Russia over its attack on Ukraine.
Abbas said he was “completely satisfied” with Russia’s position towards the Palestinian people.
“Russia stands by justice and international law and that is enough for us,” he said.
“When you say you stand by international legitimacy, this is enough for me and that is what I want. Therefore, we are happy and satisfied with the Russian position.”
(Reporting by Ali Sawafta and Nidal Al-Mughrabi; Writing by James Mackenzie)
