Vershinin: Russia recognized Palestine before the deaths of thousands of its inhabitants

Russia, along with the overwhelming majority of countries worldwide, recognized the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people to establish their own state, without waiting for the tragedy that is currently unfolding. This was stated by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin at the high-level international conference on the Middle East peace process at the UN headquarters in New York.

He recalled that Russia, like 149 other states, has long recognized the Palestinians' legitimate rights to return and self-determination, and their just aspiration for their own state.

“We did this without waiting for the current human tragedy and the monstrous catastrophe that has taken the lives of at least 65,000 Palestinians,” he said.

On September 21, the governments of the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada recognized Palestinian statehood. The Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs also announced its recognition of the State of Palestine. On September 22, France officially recognized Palestinian statehood.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that recognition of Palestine is a threat to the Jewish state. He considers it an "absurd reward for terrorism." He is referring to the attack on Israel by militants from the radical Palestinian group Hamas and the hostage-taking in October 2023. Netanyahu emphasized that a Palestinian state "will not be established west of the Jordan."