Since Hamas’s attack on Israel nearly three weeks ago, Vladimir Putin has been torn between who to back. It took the Russian president several days to address the conflict, and even longer to speak to Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu. Now, it increasingly appears that he has made up his mind.
Yesterday afternoon, at the invitation of the Kremlin, a Hamas delegation touched down for talks in Moscow. The visit was not briefed out in advance and was only confirmed by the Russian foreign ministry once news of the meeting began appearing in the Russian state media. The delegation was led by Moussa Abu Marzouk, a senior member of the Palestinian group.
If the Israelis are hoping for a repentant or apologetic Russia, they are likely to be disappointed
Neither Putin, nor his foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, are said to have met the delegation. Instead, Russia was represented by Lavrov’s deputy, Mikhail Bogdanov, who also serves as special presidential representative to the Middle East.
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