Moscow has postponed next week’s inaugural Russian-Arab summit, as a ceasefire deal in Gaza based on US President Donald Trump’s proposal begins to take effect.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani, whose country currently holds the presidency of the Arab League Council, agreed in a phone call to delay the summit, the Kremlin said on Thursday.
“Due to the fact that the active phase of implementation of US President Donald Trump's Gaza peace plan has begun, Vladimir Putin and Mohammed Shia Al Sudani agreed that many Arab state leaders who had been invited to attend the summit would find it difficult in the circumstances to go to Moscow in person,” it added.
Israeli government ministers in the early hours of Friday approved the US-brokered Gaza ceasefire and hostage release plan signed with the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
With the agreement coming into effect, Israel’s military has 24 hours to move to a predetermined line within Gaza, followed by a 72-hour period during which Hamas must surrender living and dead hostages. The Israeli military had said it would withdraw when cabinet approves the plan.
President Trump said on Thursday that the hostages who are still alive − believed to be about 20 − would be released early next week, and that he hopes to attend a ceasefire signing ceremony in Egypt and address the Israeli Knesset.
The Russian-Arab summit was scheduled to take place in Moscow on October 15. A new date has not been announced.
The meeting was expected to give the Kremlin an opportunity to strengthen ties with the Arab world and to establish “an action plan” for co-operation from 2026 to 2028.
Yuri Ushakov, Mr Putin’s top foreign policy aide, said this week that leaders from 22 Arab states and the Arab League secretary general had been invited, the state-run Tass news service reported. He acknowledged, though, that many potential participants were directly involved in Mr Trump’s plan, making it uncertain how many could attend.
