Free Republic

Russia and Iran are firming up bilateral relations in a 'trusting' atmosphere, Russia's foreign ministry said early on Tuesday after its chief, Sergei Lavrov, was received by Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi during a visit to Tehran. "In a traditionally trusting atmosphere, current aspects of the bilateral agenda were substantively discussed with an emphasis on further building up the entire complex of multifaceted Russian-Iranian partnership," the foreign ministry said in a statement on the Telegram messaging app.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday an Israeli ground offensive in Gaza would result in a level of civilian casualties that would be "absolutely unacceptable". -snip- "Russia is ready to coordinate with all constructively minded partners," Putin said. He said negotiations should be directed towards a two-state solution of the Middle East conflict in which Palestinians would get their own state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is expected to visit Moscow, Russian news media quoted the Palestinian envoy to Moscow as saying late on Monday. “We are awaiting an official statement from the Kremlin, from the Russian side, about when the visit will take place,” Russia’s RBC news outlet said, citing Ambassador Abdel Hafiz Nofal as saying. “An agreement has been reached that Mr. Abbas will come here to Moscow.”

Russian nationals may have been among those captured by the Palestinian militant group Hamas, Israeli Ambassador to Russia Alexander Ben Zvi has claimed. The diplomat made the remarks to TASS news agency on Sunday, explaining that the militants had taken a “large” number of hostages during the incursion from Gaza into southern Israel.