DUBAI, October 13. /TASS/: Russia is ready to back any deal that will iron out the long-running Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview with RT Arabic, Al Arabiya and Sky News Arabia TV channels on Sunday.
"We will support any deal that will bring peace," Putin said.
Speaking on the US-proposed "deal of the century," Putin said Washington has been pretty vague about the details of the deal. "Washington has kept in the dark the global and domestic public, the Middle East, and Palestine."
"We need to know what it is about," the Russian president said answering about his stance on the US proposal.
According to the Russian leader, Moscow believes it is important to ensure a two-state solution and be fully committed to all the UN decisions.
The president noted that Russia’s participation in solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict depends not on Moscow’s actions, but on the wish of the parties to this process. Putin said Russia had very good relations with Israel. "Almost 1.5 million Israelis come from the former Soviet Union. Israel is almost a Russian-speaking country. The Russian language is often heard in shops everywhere. We do care about what is happening in Israel."
The Russian leader recalled the efforts on arranging direct talks between the authorities of both parties to the conflict as well as between different Palestinian groups. "Restoring Palestinian unity would be a major contribution to the process. Speaking with different voices undermines the united Palestinian stance. But we are working on it."
"We believe that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is key to resolving many other regional issues," Putin stressed. "Unless it is resolved, it will continue to feed radicalism and terrorism, among other things. When people feel they have no legal ways to uphold their rights, they take up arms. In this sense, I feel the Israelis are also interested in a long-term, ultimate solution, not just the Palestinians".
