Putin met with Palestinian President Abbas

Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas within the framework of the BRICS Summit.

During the BRICS Summit held in the city of Kazan, Tatarstan, which is part of Russia, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas came together. In his statements during the meeting, Putin said, “Unfortunately, since our last meeting, the situation in the region has not improved; on the contrary, it has worsened. The tragic events in the Gaza Strip have led to the deaths of over 40,000 people and have caused tension in Lebanon and other areas of the Middle East. Tensions are also rising in the West Bank. We are witnessing all of this.”

Putin expressed that Russia continues to advocate for an immediate cessation of bloodshed and for assistance to be provided to all those in need, stating, “We call on all parties to exercise restraint. Lasting peace in the region can only be achieved through a political and diplomatic solution that envisions the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state that will live in peace and security alongside Israel.”

“The Palestinians will never leave Gaza, just as they will never leave the West Bank.”

Abbas, in his statements, expressed satisfaction with Russia’s strong position in support of the Palestinian issue and the Palestinian people’s right to sovereignty in their quest to establish a state. He said, “The Palestinian people greatly appreciate this.”

Abbas noted that due to Israeli attacks, over 40,000 people have died in the Gaza Strip, 100,000 have been injured, 10,000 are missing, and 70% of the infrastructure has been destroyed. He stated, “The Palestinians will never leave Gaza, just as they will never leave the West Bank. This is an important point. Netanyahu is trying to do this, to expel the Palestinians from their homeland, but we will never accept this. We know that Egypt on the Gaza side and the Jordanians on the West Bank side do not support this policy and condemn it. Gaza is an inseparable part of the Palestinian state. Therefore, we intend to work to end the occupation so that we can live in a united Palestinian state along with Gaza and the West Bank.”

Abbas conveyed that they do not agree with certain calls made by the US and some Arab countries, saying, “We do not agree with these; we consider them as interference in our internal affairs. In saying this, I mean that they want to appoint certain people to specific positions.”