PA President Abbas visits Russia's Putin in attempt to ‘return the Palestinian Authority to the political map’

Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Moscow last Thursday, where the Russian leader said his country is looking to use frozen assets to pay the $1 billion fee for joining the Board of Peace. 

The talks came after Abbas received little recognition at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

"The visit is intended first and foremost to return the Palestinian Authority to the political map," a Palestinian source told Israel's Ynet News. 

The source said Russia is seen as an influential international partner and that Putin’s invitation from U.S. President Donald Trump to join the Board of Peace could help the PA on issues such as the unfreezing of tax funds held by Israel. Russian and Arab media reported that Abbas received a warm welcome at an official reception, making him the first foreign leader to visit Moscow in 2026.

President Putin meets with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, after he agreed to invest $1 billion and join Trump’s Gaza Board of Peace.

President Trump appointed former Palestinian Authority member and civil engineer, Dr. Ali Shaath, as the Chief Commissioner of the National… pic.twitter.com/Fi2Zv2Fzv1

— Feisty-n-Friends ⭐⭐⭐ (@FriendsFeisty) January 23, 2026

During the talks, Abbas and Putin discussed bilateral relations, the humanitarian situation in Gaza, and the latest developments in the Middle East, including the move to the second phase of the peace process. Both Putin and Abbas reportedly emphasized the deep historical relations between “Palestine” and Russia, with Abbas calling Russia a “50-year-old friend.”

Abbas was reported to have been an agent of the Soviet-era KGB, according to a document in a British archive known as the Mitrokhin Archive, compiled from records hand-copied by former KGB archivist Vasily Mitrokhin and later provided to British intelligence.

According to a short reference in the document, Abbas was a Soviet agent who went by the code name “Mole” [Krotov]. No other information about his work for the Soviet intelligence agency was recorded in the archive. 

Putin served as foreign intelligence officer in the KGB for 16 years, reaching the rank of lieutenant colonel before retiring to enter into politics in 1991.

Abbas also reportedly completed his doctoral studies at the Soviet Academy of Sciences’ prestigious Institute of Oriental Studies. There, he wrote a thesis comparing Zionism to Nazi ideology, called “The Relationship Between Zionists and Nazis, 1933-1945.” 

The Mitrokhin Archives also demonstrate the extensive connections between the USSR and Palestinian terror organizations, including the major factions within the Palestinian Liberation Organization. The archives mention former PA President Yasser Arafat, giving him the codename “Aref,” but noting that he did not impress his KGB handlers. 

According to Arab reports, Abbas called for the full implementation of President Trump's Gaza peace plan, including the Israeli withdrawal from the Strip and the quick start of reconstruction.

However, the PA head warned against the establishment of separate administrative or security mechanisms in Gaza, an apparent reference to the Gaza Executive Board and the International Stabilization Force (ISF), which he said would deepen division among the people. 

Russian media used Abbas' visit to convey the message that the United States and Western Europe had failed to isolate Putin, calling Abbas the first foreign head of state to visit in the new year.  

According to the Russian news agency TASS, Putin said that Russia is ready to allocate $1 billion in frozen Russian assets in the United States “to support the Palestinian people through the Board of Peace.”

TASS also reported that Putin discussed using frozen Russian assets in the U.S. to cover the Board of Peace permanent member fee with Trump special envoy Steve Witkoff during his meeting with the American delegation earlier in the day.