The White House is “deeply disappointed” in Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’s comments to Putin, a spokesperson for the National Security Council (NSC) told Axios on Saturday.
On Thursday, Abbas praised Russia’s “clear position” about a peace settlement between Palestine and Israel and reiterated his support for the so-called Quartet on the Middle East, a framework of mediators that includes Russia, the US, the UN, and the EU. However, he noted that Washington could not be the only mediator.
“We don’t trust America and you know our position… under no circumstances can we accept that America is the sole party in resolving a problem,” he reportedly told Putin on the sidelines of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia in Astana, Kazakhstan.
#Russia’s #Putin Meets with #PA President #Abbas in Astana (VIDEO) https://t.co/syNrMDvhbz via @PalestineChron pic.twitter.com/UDTKuehrQF
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) October 15, 2022
He also commended Russia for “standing by justice and international law.”
According to two Axios sources, officials in the administration of US President Joe Biden were “furious” over Abbas’ remarks and conveyed this sentiment to his advisers.
“Russia does NOT stand for justice and international law, as evidenced by the latest vote at the UN General Assembly,” the NSC spokesperson said, referring to the recent resolution that rejected the referendums in four former Ukrainian regions that overwhelmingly voted to join Russia.
The spokesperson also denounced Putin as “a far cry from the type of international partner” that can help solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as opposed to Biden, who “has demonstrated US commitment for decades to seeking creative solutions.”
🇵🇸 Palestinian president says he does not trust US, but is happy with Russia's position
— Intel Mule (@Intel_Mule) October 14, 2022
🔹Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas says he does “not trust” the United States, but is happy with Russia’s position toward Palestine.
📸 Abbas 🇵🇸 | Putin 🇷🇺 pic.twitter.com/kRUMJQQQdl
The spokesperson’s remarks come a week after US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan met with Hussein Al-Sheikh, a top Palestinian official, to discuss regional stability.
This meeting followed Biden’s July talks with Abbas during which he confirmed his commitment to the idea of creating an independent state of Palestine.
Source: Palestine Chronicle. 17 Oct. 2022