Zakharova announces that Russia will not participate in Trump's Council, but “there are consultations to formulate an official position”
Russia will not send delegates to the inaugural meeting of the Peace Council scheduled for February 19 in Washington. The announcement was made by the spokeswoman of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, during a press conference.
Maria Zaharova PHOTO: Profimedia
“Russia will not participate in the Peace Council meeting”Zaharova said, according to the TASS agency.
Zakharova emphasized that consultations are still ongoing in Moscow to formulate an official position towards the new international structure.
The first meeting of the Peace Council will be hosted by the United States, in Washington, and the initiative comes in the context of diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis in the Gaza Strip.
The body's charter was signed on January 22 by 19 countries, on the sidelines of the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos.
Earlier, the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, stated that Moscow is carefully analyzing the initiative and international reactions to it. He pointed out that many states in the West and in the East, including permanent members of the UN Security Council, have adopted a reserved position towards the project.
President Vladimir Putin has also previously stated that Russia is willing to allocate $1 billion of frozen Russian assets in the United States to support the Peace Council.
The Kremlin leader specified that this contribution could be made even before Moscow decides whether to formally join the initiative.
