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Abbas calls Putin to support Russian government’s actions on June 24

The two leaders also discussed the Palestinian-Israeli settlement

MOSCOW, July 1. /TASS/. The State of Palestine President Mahmoud Abbas called Russian President Vladimir Putin to tell him of support for the Russian government’s actions on June 24, the Kremlin said.

"At the initiative of the Palestinian side, a phone conversation took place between Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Mahmoud Abbas of the State of Palestine. The Palestinian leader expressed his full support for the actions of the Russian leadership to protect the constitutional order and ensure law enforcement during the June 24 events," the Kremlin said.

The two leaders also discussed the Palestinian-Israeli settlement. "The Russian side reaffirmed its principled position in favor of a just and sustainable solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict on the basis of the existing international law," the Kremlin added.

During the conversation, Putin and Abbas "reiterated their commitment to develop further the traditionally friendly Russian-Palestinian relationship," and agreed to continue dialogue.

Putin also congratulated Abbas and all Palestinians on the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha.

June 24 events in Russia

On the evening of June 23, several audio recordings were posted on the Telegram channel of Wagner Private Military Company (PMC) founder Yevgeny Prigozhin. In particular, he claimed that his units had come under attack, blaming the Russian military. In turn, the Russian Defense Ministry slammed the Wagner boss’ allegations of a strike on the PMC’s "rear camps" as fake news. The PMC units that supported Prigozhin headed to Rostov-on-Don and then turned toward Moscow. The Federal Security Service (FSB) launched a criminal probe into calls for armed mutiny. Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a televised address to the nation on June 24, described the Wagner group’s actions as armed mutiny and a betrayal, vowing to take tough measures against the mutineers.

Later on that day, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, in coordination with Putin, held talks with Prigozhin, as a result of which the Wagner troops stood down, turned around and returned to their base camps.

The Kremlin specified later that the authorities will not prosecute those Wagner group members who took part in the mutiny, "in light of their frontline services." The criminal case over the armed mutiny has been closed.

Putin has said the Wagner PMC’s mutiny attempted to provoke civil unrest but that Russian military servicemen and law enforcement agencies courageously stood up to stop it.