Putin to hold talks with US Envoys and Palestinian President Abbas

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that he will hold a series of high-level meetings on Thursday, including separate talks with US representatives working on the Ukraine conflict and with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, according to Russian officials.

Speaking during a meeting of Russia’s Security Council, Putin confirmed he is scheduled to meet US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who have been tasked with exploring possible paths toward resolving Russia’s nearly four-year war in Ukraine. 

Russian state news agencies reported that discussions will include the fate of frozen Russian assets and whether they could be used for reconstruction in areas damaged by the conflict.

“These issues are being discussed with representatives of the U.S. administration,” Putin was quoted as saying.

Later the same day, the Kremlin announced that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas will also meet Putin in Moscow. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the talks will focus on the situation in the Middle East, including the war in Gaza, as well as economic and trade cooperation between Russia and the Palestinian Authority.

Abbas, who last met Putin in May during Russia’s Victory Day commemorations, has frequently praised Moscow for what he describes as its consistent backing of Palestinian positions on the international stage. Putin, for his part, has repeatedly voiced support for a diplomatic solution to the Gaza conflict and has offered Russia’s services as a potential mediator.

The meeting comes following Abbas' meetings in November with French President Emmanuel Macron and Pope Leo XIV. That Paris meeting drew sharp criticism from Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, who condemned Macron for publicly praising Abbas.

“To present him as a man of peace is a distortion of reality,” Netanyahu said at the time, accusing the Palestinian Authority of financially rewarding attacks against Israelis and glorifying militants through public institutions and education.

Netanyahu has also criticized Abbas’s long tenure, noting that the Palestinian leader has remained in office for more than two decades despite being elected to a four-year term, and accusing the authority of honoring individuals responsible for deadly attacks on civilians.

Putin is expected to raise the issue of frozen Russian funds with Abbas during their talks, Russian media reported, linking the discussion to broader recovery efforts tied to regional conflicts.