Russia’s Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, on Tuesday spoke out against the United States’ Middle East peace plan as he met Palestinian Arab factions in Moscow.
Lavrov told the Palestinian Arab representatives that the long awaited “Deal of the Century” will "destroy everything" that has been done so far, according to i24NEWS.
"American colleagues propose, rather than come up with new ideas to solve the problem. (They) have been promising for more than two years to propose some ‘Deal of the Century.’ But it's clear that the information available enables us to assess this ‘deal of the Century,’ as one that would destroy everything that has been done so far," claimed the Russian minister.
Russia has taken a critical stance toward the peace plan from the beginning, emphasizing two states as a requirement of any proposal to the conflict, noted i24NEWS.
Little is known about the Trump administration’s peace plan, which likely will not be made public until after the April 9 elections in Israel.
On Sunday, Fox News reported that the Trump administration had completed its much-anticipated framework for a final status agreement between Israel and the PA.
White House envoy Jason Greenblatt rejected that report, however, writing on Twitter that while “the plan is close to complete, we aren’t there yet and we’ll continue to refine it until release.”
A Channel 13 report in January claimed that it would include the establishment of a Palestinian state in about 90 percent of Judea and Samaria, with at least part of eastern Jerusalem as its capital.
Greenblatt rejected that report as well, saying it was inaccurate.
The Palestinian Authority (PA) has rejected the US peace plan being formulated by the Trump administration before it has even been unveiled and has been boycotting the US ever since President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in December of 2017.
Lavrov also addressed the disunity between Palestinian Arab factions with representatives from both Hamas and Fatah present at the meeting in Moscow on Tuesday.
"This, probably difficult decision, (to unite) is unique in that it depends on you only. It doesn't depend on no external actors. External actors who might have varying agendas will try to break you up, (and send you) to different corners of one or another room and to prevent the fateful decision (to unite), which, I believe, you must make," he was quoted as having said.
“Ending the split will strengthen the position of Russia and the international community, supporting a diplomatic solution based on decisions of the international community. There are countries that don’t see an end to the division and therefore conclude that without it, the two-state solution has become mission impossible,” the Russian Foreign Minister concluded.