Russia's top diplomat calls Trump’s Gaza plan ‘best option on the table’

ISTANBUL

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Wednesday described US President Donald Trump’s plan for resolving the situation in Gaza as the “best thing on the table” and called the American leader’s approach “realistic.”

Lavrov said in an interview for the Bridges to the East project, as cited by the Russian state-run Tass news agency, that while the plan's 20 points are broad and primarily focused on the Gaza Strip, it remains the most viable option under current conditions.

“US President Donald Trump proposed his ‘20 points,’ which mention the word ‘statehood,’ but in rather general terms,” Lavrov said.

“It only concerns what remains of the Gaza Strip. The West Bank isn’t mentioned, but we are realists. We understand that this is the best thing on the table right now.”

He added that the plan could be acceptable to both Arab countries and Israel. “At the very least, it’s the best option in terms of acceptability for the Arabs and non-rejection by Israel. But most importantly, it needs to be acceptable to the Palestinians,” Lavrov noted.

Calling Trump’s initiative a positive step, Lavrov emphasized that the main goal of any settlement should be “to quickly end the bloodshed, save lives, and restore the Gaza Strip.”

“Returning once again to Donald Trump’s plan, it’s realistic if the Palestinians accept it,” the Russian foreign minister said, adding that Moscow supports ongoing indirect negotiations in Egypt involving Türkiye, Qatar, the United States, and Israel.

According to Lavrov, the key challenge remains ensuring that hostilities do not resume. “It’s crucial to work out the details here to prevent a relapse,” he stressed.