ISTANBUL

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday said he would discuss the use of frozen Russian assets to support US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace during a meeting with US envoys in Moscow later in the day.

Putin made the remarks during a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the Kremlin, ahead of his talks with US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.

“We are ready to direct $1 billion to this new structure,” Putin said, referring to the Board of Peace. “First and foremost to support the Palestinian people and to direct these funds to the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip and, in general, to the resolution of the problems of Palestine.”

He said the issue of frozen Russian assets had already been discussed with the American side, adding that Russia’s approach to the Palestinian issue and the Middle East settlement is “principled and not opportunistic.”

Earlier Thursday, Witkoff said at a Ukrainian event in Davos that “a lot of progress” had been made in Russia-Ukraine peace talks, and that negotiations are “down to one issue.”

Last week, the White House announced the formation of the Board of Peace. Dozens of nations have been invited to become members, and for a $1 billion payment they can reportedly sit on the board permanently.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed earlier this week that he had also been invited to join the board but questioned how Ukraine could participate alongside Russia and Belarus.