MOSCOW: Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas will visit Moscow next week to discuss the Gaza war with Russian President Vladimir Putin, a Palestinian envoy said.
Russia's state-run TASS news agency cited that the Palestinian ambassador Abdel Hafiz Nofal in Moscow said that Abbas will arrive on Monday and meet Putin on Tuesday.
The two leaders would discuss events about the Gaza-Israel war. They will also talk about Russia's role in the war against Ukraine and what can be done to maintain peace.
Moscow for years tried to balance relations with all major players in the Middle East including Israel and the Palestinians. But since the Israel-Hamas war and Russia's own offensive on Ukraine, Putin has moved closer to Israel's foes, Hamas and Iran.
The Kremlin has repeatedly criticised Israel's response to the October 7 attacks and called for restraint.