RAMALLAH, West Bank — The visit of the dismissed Fatah leader Mohammed Dahlan to Russia Nov. 2 and his meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov raised questions about the visit’s agenda and timing, as it preceded the visit of President Mahmoud Abbas to Moscow scheduled for Nov. 23.
A Fatah leader told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity that contacts were made with Russian officials who told us that "Dahlan’s visit came at the request of the United Arab Emirates [UAE]. This is why some fear that its aim is to sabotage the upcoming visit of President Abbas.”
