AMMAN, Jordan — Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has stepped up his recently launched diplomatic offensive on future peace negotiations, including by emphasizing the need for Moscow to reassert a balancing role in the Middle East conflict.
On Feb. 10 in Ramallah, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi signed four agreements totaling $41 million and expressed support for a two-state solution, and 24 hours later, Abbas arrived in Moscow for a meeting with President Vladimir Putin. On Feb. 13, a senior Omani official, Foreign Minister Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah, arrived for the first time in Ramallah for a visit.
Abbas' Russian trip is remarkable in that it reflects a major shift in Palestinian diplomatic efforts aimed at dislodging the United States as the sole sponsor of the peace process. The Palestinian ambassador to Russia, Abdel Hafiz Nofal, had told Maan TV on Feb. 11 that Abbas is seeking a new sponsor for peace. “We want a sponsor that is serious about the peace process after the United States has failed over 25 years,” Nofal said. “We believe that Russia is ready to play this role.”
Nofal added that the Palestinians want Russia, China and the European Union to have a bigger role in the new international order. Russian media reported on Feb. 11 that Putin had canceled a trip to Sochi to meet with Abbas.
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