Russian President Vladimir Putin said he is ready to contribute $1 billion (about 1.47 trillion won) to the Gaza Strip Peace Committee established by U.S. President Donald Trump.
According to Reuters, TASS, and other foreign media on the 22nd, Putin, opening talks with Mahmoud Abbas, head of the Palestinian Authority (PA), at the Kremlin, said, "Today we will discuss the creation of a new body by the U.S. president to resolve the situation in Palestine and the Gaza Strip," adding that he was ready to contribute $1 billion to the organization.
He added, "I think it is possible to use funds that were frozen under the previous U.S. administration," and "We discussed this option with representatives of the U.S. administration, and a meeting is also planned in Moscow today."
Putin is scheduled to meet around 7–8 p.m. with Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's senior son-in-law Jared Kushner, where he plans to discuss the Peace Committee.
Earlier, at a National Security Council meeting the previous day, Putin first expressed his intention to contribute $1 billion to the Peace Committee by using Russian asset frozen in the United States. A $1 billion contribution secures permanent membership in the committee.
Putin also said that Russia's ties with Palestine are deep-rooted and that only the establishment of a Palestinian state can ultimately resolve the Middle East conflict.
In response, Abbas said Russia is a "great friend" of Palestine and that he was ready to work together with Russia's support and assistance.
Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said at a briefing that it is unclear how the $1 billion contribution would be handled legally and noted, "Everything must be discussed and the (freeze) lifted. Naturally, specific actions by the United States are required." He emphasized, "This $1 billion should be used through the Peace Committee for Palestinian reconstruction and humanitarian purposes."