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Washington ‘Deeply Disappointed’ by Palestinian President’s Meeting with Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas greet each other in Astana, Kazakhstan, Oct. 13, 2022. (Vyacheslav Prokofyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas greet each other in Astana, Kazakhstan, Oct. 13, 2022. (Vyacheslav Prokofyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
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Washington ‘Deeply Disappointed’ by Palestinian President’s Meeting with Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas greet each other in Astana, Kazakhstan, Oct. 13, 2022. (Vyacheslav Prokofyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas greet each other in Astana, Kazakhstan, Oct. 13, 2022. (Vyacheslav Prokofyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

The US administration issued a rare public stinging rebuke of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, days after he lauded Russian President Vladimir Putin while slamming the United States.

“We were deeply disappointed to hear President Abbas’s remarks to President Putin. Russia does not stand for justice and international law, as evidenced by the vote at the UN General Assembly,” a National Security Council spokesperson said.

According to Israeli sources, the spokesperson’s remarks are only part of US President Joe Biden administration's rage over Abbas' meeting with Putin and saying he has no trust in the US.

They affirmed that the US anger will translate into practices against the Palestinian Authority.

The sources added that some people in Tel Aviv sought to leak the text of Abbas’s remarks, which were not mentioned in the presidency’s official statement at the time, and in which he was keen to insult Biden and his administration.

The Palestinian president on Thursday used an audience with Putin to denounce the US, telling the Russian leader that he has no faith in Washington as a Mideast peace broker.

Abbas met Putin on the sidelines of the 6th summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-building Measures in Asia (CICA) in Astana, Kazakhstan.

He reiterated his support for the so-called Quartet of international mediators - Russia, the US, the UN, and the European Union - but said the US could not be left a free hand to act alone.

His comments about the US, traditionally the main broker between Israel and the Palestinians, came at a time when the US and Russia are at loggerheads over Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

“We don't trust America and you know our position. We don't trust it, we don't rely on it, and under no circumstances can we accept that America is the sole party in resolving a problem,” Abbas told Putin.

Later in televised remarks, the Palestinian President said Washington can be within the Quartet since it is a great country but that the PA will never accept it as the only one.

In return, Abbas said he was “completely satisfied” with Russia's position towards the Palestinian people.

“Russia stands by justice and international law and that is enough for us,” he stressed.

“When you say you stand by international legitimacy, this is enough for me and that is what I want. Therefore, we are happy and satisfied with the Russian position,” Abbas added.

According to the publication in Tel Aviv on Sunday, Biden's team was outraged by these statements and considered them a blow to the US efforts to resolve the Palestinian cause and cancel the decisions of former President Donald Trump, which severed the US-Palestinian ties.

Yedioth Ahronoth Newspaper published an opinion piece by Ben-Dror Yemeni, who said that when it comes to major international conflicts throughout history, the Palestinian leadership has often, if not always, chosen to support “the wrong side.”

He cited the “wrong” positions, stating that During World War II, then-leader Mufti Hajj Amin al-Husseini chose the German Nazi Reich and spent the duration of the war in Berlin, and allegedly advised Hitler to destroy all Jews in the Arab world.

“In the 1960s, then PLO-leader Ahmad Shukeiri, conspired with Jordan, Syria, and Egypt to drive away the Jews, leading to their defeat in the 1967 Six-Day War,” the article stated, adding that in the Gulf War Yasser Arafat supported Saddam Hussein, and now Russian President Vladimir Putin, with whom Abbas has opted to side.

A source in the Palestinian presidency responded to this publication, saying that Abbas briefed Putin on the situation and underlined the Israeli escalation in Palestine.

“It was clear to us that the timing of the meeting with Putin would constitute a problem, but we did not have many options left,” the source stressed.

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Arab World

Sharaa: Syria Seeks to Stop Lebanon War, Not Join It

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa (SANA)
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa (SANA)
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Sharaa: Syria Seeks to Stop Lebanon War, Not Join It

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa (SANA)
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa (SANA)

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has moved to quell renewed speculation that Syria could become involved in the war in Lebanon, saying reports that Damascus intends to intervene militarily are “mere rumors.”

Sharaa said Syria’s position at this stage was based on “seeking to stop the war in Lebanon, not becoming involved in it.”

His remarks came during a meeting with a delegation from the Damascus countryside. He said demarcating the Syrian-Lebanese border was “not currently a priority” given more urgent files, foremost among them the case of about 1.4 million displaced Syrians in Lebanon and efforts to find a suitable mechanism to ensure their return.

US President Donald Trump had recently reaffirmed Washington’s goal of delivering a strong blow to Hezbollah. According to him, Israel has done what is necessary in the south, but there is still much left to eliminate Hezbollah. He then hinted at possibly having to ask Syria’s involvement.

Trump’s remarks prompted a wave of interpretations, amid reports of a possible visit by Sharaa to Washington. The Syrian presidency denied those reports.

Sources in Damascus told Asharq Al-Awsat that the US remarks were “a form of reshuffling the cards” and fell within “the framework of negotiating statements and sending messages to Iran.”

The sources said, “So far, there has been no official US request to Damascus related to any form of Syrian military intervention in Lebanon.” They said Tom Barrack, Trump’s envoy to Syria and Iraq and Washington’s ambassador in Ankara, had previously asked Damascus “to take a clear, explicit and serious position against Hezbollah.”

The sources said Damascus believes it already has such a position, reflected in border control, cutting smuggling routes and high-level coordination with the Lebanese government.

They added that “entering the quagmire of war and sending military forces unilaterally is completely ruled out,” and that it was “very, very early” to discuss the possibility of Syrian forces entering Lebanon in support of the Lebanese army.

Brigadier General Hassan Abdul Ghani, commander of the Border Guard Forces in the Syrian Arab Army, met last Thursday with a Lebanese army delegation headed by liaison official Brigadier General Michel Boutros, in the presence of several officers.

The talks focused on issues of mutual concern, mainly “enhancing cooperation and coordination between the two sides in border control and combating smuggling activities, in a way that contributes to strengthening border security between the two countries.”

At the same time, Syria’s Interior Ministry said “Lebanon is a sovereign state and not a backyard, as the former regime viewed it,” stressing that “coordination with Lebanon is the basic pillar for any assistance Syria provides to Lebanon.”

Sharaa had expressed Syria’s readiness to provide Lebanon with whatever support and assistance it can, within available capabilities and circumstances, when he received former Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati in Damascus on the ninth of this month.

Media reports said Sharaa told Mikati that “Lebanon’s stability and security constitute a direct Syrian interest,” and that Damascus was keen to build the best relations with the Lebanese state on the basis of mutual respect, good neighborliness and non-interference in internal affairs.

The meeting between Sharaa and Mikati, which lasted for hours, discussed the state of bilateral relations between Damascus and Beirut and prospects for developing them in the next stage, along with several economic and investment files of mutual interest, in light of the transformations taking place in the region.

 

 

 

 

Arab World

Palestinian, Israeli Civil Society Groups Meet in France as Two-State Hopes Dim

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas speaks during a conference with Palestinian and Israeli civil society groups supporting a two-state solution in Paris, France, 12 June 2026. (EPA)
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas speaks during a conference with Palestinian and Israeli civil society groups supporting a two-state solution in Paris, France, 12 June 2026. (EPA)
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Palestinian, Israeli Civil Society Groups Meet in France as Two-State Hopes Dim

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas speaks during a conference with Palestinian and Israeli civil society groups supporting a two-state solution in Paris, France, 12 June 2026. (EPA)
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas speaks during a conference with Palestinian and Israeli civil society groups supporting a two-state solution in Paris, France, 12 June 2026. (EPA)

Palestinian and Israeli civil society groups delivered an appeal in France on Friday to urge the international community not to abandon a two-state solution, as Paris seeks to keep the issue alive amid the Middle East war.

The meeting brought together foreign ministers and senior officials from dozens of countries alongside civil society groups. It marks one year since the UN-backed New York Declaration, which set out a roadmap toward Palestinian statehood and prompted around a dozen countries, including France, Britain and Canada, to recognize ‌a Palestinian state.

"We ‌could find every reason in the world to give up. ‌But ⁠you are here! Your ⁠testimonies alone are grounds for hope and action," France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told 250 civil society representatives from both sides.

"France refuses to let the side of war prevail over the side of peace."

The gathering ended with an eight-point “Call for Action” urging a permanent ceasefire, a halt to settlements, Gaza reconstruction, governance reforms and stronger international backing for civil society.

It will be delivered to the G7 leaders who meet in the French Alps from Monday.

"The region continues to fracture. Gaza is devastated, Israel remains ⁠under threat. Settler terrorism, settlement expansion, and de facto annexation and ‌threats to the Palestinian Authority continue to undermine the viability ‌of a future Palestinian state," according to the action plan.

"Israelis and Palestinians alike remain trapped in fear, insecurity, ‌and trauma. We return because, as the G7 convenes in Evian, this conflict risks once ‌again being set aside. The window for a solution remains open; but it is narrowing."

ANGER IN WEST OVER SETTLER VIOLENCE

The conference comes amid escalating violence by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank and underscores anger in many Western countries toward Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, which has expanded settlements.

Diplomats say ‌that expansion is aimed at undermining prospects for a Palestinian state.

A key concern is Israel’s plan to build a settlement east of Jerusalem, ⁠known as the E1 ⁠project, which would bisect the West Bank and cut it off from East Jerusalem, fragmenting territory Palestinians seek for an independent state.

"The two-state solution remains the only viable path to bringing lasting peace to the Middle East," European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said. "The situation in the West Bank is equally alarming. Illegal Israeli settlements continue to expand at an unprecedented pace, and settler violence is increasing without sufficient accountability."

Britain, Canada, France and Norway announced new coordinated sanctions on Tuesday against Israeli networks involved in financing, enabling and carrying out violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Israel and the United States declined to attend the meeting in Paris.

"The ambassador was invited but will not attend the conference, as it has nothing to do with promoting peace," the Israeli embassy said in a statement.

"France cannot act as a mediator between Israel and the Palestinians. Regarding the two-state solution, the ambassador recalls that the Palestinians have rejected proposals to establish a Palestinian state on five occasions."

Arab World

Arab Push Seeks Lebanon Ceasefire Arrangements

From a session of bilateral negotiations between Lebanon and Israel, held under US sponsorship at the US State Department. (AFP)
From a session of bilateral negotiations between Lebanon and Israel, held under US sponsorship at the US State Department. (AFP)
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Arab Push Seeks Lebanon Ceasefire Arrangements

From a session of bilateral negotiations between Lebanon and Israel, held under US sponsorship at the US State Department. (AFP)
From a session of bilateral negotiations between Lebanon and Israel, held under US sponsorship at the US State Department. (AFP)

An Arab diplomatic push is moving alongside talks involving Pakistan to increase pressure for a ceasefire agreement in Lebanon, after the country was pulled into a wider contest between Iran and the United States on one side, and Israel and Hezbollah on the other, Lebanese sources told Asharq Al-Awsat.

The phased effort would begin with enforcing a ceasefire, followed by a plan to carry out subsequent steps, the sources said.

Details of the Iranian-US understanding have yet to be announced, including whether Lebanon is included and under what formula.

But Israeli leaks offered no sign of calm on the Lebanese front.

Israel’s Channel 14 quoted an Israeli source as saying “the situation in Lebanon will remain as it is,” adding that Israel would “retain freedom of action against any threat inside Lebanese territory.”

The source said: “Iran’s attempts to link the arenas have failed.”

Lebanese sources, however, do not see the two files as separate in practice, even as Lebanon pursues an independent track through bilateral negotiations with Israel in Washington and prepares for a new round of talks.

Any US-Iranian understanding “will inevitably reflect on the Lebanese file, and we hope it will,” the sources said. The two sides concerned, they added, “can impose arrangements” through pressure from Washington on Tel Aviv and from Tehran on Hezbollah.

Supporting the Arab push

As the outcome of the Iranian-US talks takes shape, another factor has entered the Lebanese scene: an Arab effort to prepare the ground for any shift in those negotiations.

Lebanese sources following international contacts said a friendly Arab push on Lebanon’s behalf had gained momentum over the past two days and was working to shape a position that could support the negotiations.

Such a position, the sources said, “would pave the way for a tripartite meeting” between President Joseph Aoun, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam “to assess the situation and proceed with a plan that begins with implementing a ceasefire and carrying out the post-ceasefire phase.”

The effort is moving on several tracks, the sources said. It begins with enforcing a ceasefire, then moves to further steps: withdrawals by both sides, with the Israeli army pulling out of occupied territory and Hezbollah withdrawing its fighters; deployment of the Lebanese army; and the handover of Hezbollah’s weapons.

The process would be backed by international guarantees to prevent renewed fighting, allowing residents to return and restore stability in the south.

A helpful domestic development also emerged over the past week, with renewed contact between Aoun and Berri. The speaker is handling internal talks with Hezbollah.

Israel’s “intransigence” and Hezbollah’s insistence

Despite the regional and international moves, Lebanon is pressing ahead with its Washington negotiating track with Israel in pursuit of a ceasefire, a goal on which the Lebanese president has insisted.

Sessions are scheduled for June 22, 23 and 24, Lebanese ministerial sources told Asharq Al-Awsat. The first meeting will be military-diplomatic, the second day will be limited to military talks, and the third will be devoted to diplomacy.

So far, however, all initiatives have collided with Israeli “intransigence” and Hezbollah’s insistence on continuing the fight.

Israel has not provided answers to Lebanese demands in previous sessions, the sources said. At the latest session, Lebanon’s ambassador threatened to leave before US Secretary of State Marco Rubio intervened, the Lebanese presidency said last week.

The Israeli side “is intransigent and has not offered anything that would move the negotiations forward,” the sources said, citing its insistence on linking any step, including a ceasefire or a model zone, to Hezbollah’s prior disarmament.

Hezbollah, for its part, has told mediators it will not give answers before a full and comprehensive ceasefire across Lebanese territory. It has also halted contact with Aoun.

Caught between those positions, Lebanon has received US support for shielding Beirut and its southern suburbs from bombardment, but not enough pressure to secure a ceasefire in the south, the sources said.

The Israeli side “has enough freedom of movement in the south to continue bombardment and fighting,” they added, describing a reality in which some areas, namely the south, appear designated for combat while others remain spared.

The model zone

The previous negotiating session proposed a “pilot zone” for a model weapons-free area from which both sides would withdraw.

But the proposal never got a real chance to succeed before a practical implementation plan became clear. Hezbollah and Israel both rejected it, according to the sources.

The plan also carries risks for the Lebanese army if implemented without a ceasefire. It would leave troops unable to move safely between combat zones and amid incoming fire, placing soldiers directly in danger.

Awaiting Hezbollah’s answers

Against this deadlock, Lebanon is watching the Iranian-US talks and their possible impact at home.

Sources following the domestic push said, “Hezbollah’s margin for maneuver is narrowing,” and that the group must now provide answers on whether it will withdraw from the proposed model zones and whether it will hand over its weapons under any initiative.

It remains unclear whether, if Hezbollah agrees, it would provide such guarantees to the Lebanese state or to the Iranian negotiator.

“If it rejects both points, it must also provide an alternative to stop the war,” the sources said.

Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc, Loyalty to the Resistance, on Friday condemned “the latest round of direct negotiations” and renewed its rejection “in full and in detail of all the unjust outcomes of the meeting, which imposed unilateral obligations on Lebanon.”

The bloc said it rejected “the conditions and dictates put forward by the enemy and adopted by the Lebanese negotiating delegation, despite the commitments containing no reference to what the enemy should commit to in terms of halting hostile operations, withdrawing from our land, the return of the displaced and reconstruction, which constitute national priorities and constants that the political authority should not overlook.”