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Trump takes center stage in Abbas-Putin talks

While the Russian president expressed a desire to play a role in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, he made it clear that Washington remains a key party in future talks.
Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) shakes hands with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas during a meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia February 12, 2018. REUTERS/Maxim Shipenkov/Pool - UP1EE2C1ID90J
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Washington's role in the Middle East topped the agenda in Moscow during talks Feb. 12 between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

The head of the Palestinian Authority (PA) had originally been due to meet with Putin in Sochi. However, following the crash of a Russian civilian aircraft that claimed 71 lives, the meeting had to take place in Moscow. Just a few minutes ahead of the meeting, US President Donald Trump phoned his Russian counterpart. The formal reason was to express condolences over the plane crash, but the two politicians also touched upon other topics, including the Palestinian-Israeli settlement process. Putin passed Trump’s best wishes to Abbas as the two leaders started the conversation. “Naturally, we talked about the Palestinian-Israeli settlement process. I would like to convey his best wishes,” the Russian leader said to Abbas. Later, Washington clarified that Trump had emphasized the need to start working out an “enduring peace agreement” between the Israelis and the Palestinians.

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