פוטין מהלל את הגישה ה''אחראית'' של אבומאזן לתהליך השלום  

פוטין הוסיף שאין לרוסיה בעיה להכיר במדינה פלסטינית

פוטין גם העביר ביקורת על ישראל בטענה שצעדים חד צדדים
לא מועילים .

Visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin praised his Palestinian counterpart Tuesday for what he said was a “responsible” position in negotiations with Israel, frozen for nearly four years, and said Russia has no problem recognizing a Palestinian state.

Mr. Putin also offered veiled criticism of Israel, saying unilateral actions — an apparent reference to continued Israeli settlement expansion on war-won land — is not constructive.

Mr. Putin spoke at the end of a visit to the biblical West Bank town of Bethlehem, with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas by his side. Mr. Putin inaugurated a Russian cultural and language centre in Bethlehem and toured the church built over the traditional birth grotto of Jesus.

Israeli-Palestinian talks on the terms of Palestinian statehood broke off in 2008. Repeated efforts to restart them have failed because of wide gaps between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Mr. Abbas.

Mr. Netanyahu says he is ready to resume talks any time, but refuses to halt construction in Jewish settlements on lands Israel captured in the 1967 Mideast war. Mr. Abbas says there’s no point negotiating as long as Israel keeps building for Jews in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, occupied territories the Palestinians want for a state, along with the Gaza Strip. Israel has moved half a million settlers to the West Bank and east Jerusalem since the 1967 war.

“We talked about ways of overcoming the dilemma of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process,” Mr. Putin said Tuesday. “I point out here the responsible position of President Abbas and his endeavour to reach a peaceful settlement based on a two-state settlement.”

“I am sure that all unilateral actions are not constructive,” he added.