Putin says Russia backed Trump's 'well known' Gaza deal 'from very beginning'

US President Donald Trump with Russian President Vladimir Putin

At the Russia-Central Asia summit held in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Moscow had supported US President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace initiative “from the very beginning.”

“President Trump put forward his well-known initiatives, and as you saw, Russia supported them almost immediately,” Putin said, referring to Trump’s Gaza plan. He added, “We see what is happening now, based on information, media support, and the final decisions. We sincerely hope these initiatives of the U.S. President will indeed be implemented in practice.”

Putin described Trump’s proposal as one of his “well-known initiatives,” noting that the United States-led efforts would soon be carried out in reality.

The Gaza peace deal seeks to bring an end to the conflict between Israel and Hamas. Under the agreement, Hamas would release 47 hostages in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. The deal also provides for a daily delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza and a phased return of displaced residents. Israeli forces are expected to gradually withdraw under international guarantees reportedly backed by Trump. The ceasefire is expected to take effect following Israeli cabinet approval.

During the same summit, Putin also encouraged the leaders of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan to strengthen trade relations with Russia. He highlighted that last year’s total trade turnover with these five Central Asian countries exceeded $45 billion, but said there was still “good potential for growth.”

Putin noted that Russia’s trade with Belarus, despite the country’s smaller size, was even higher. He said this showed that trade with Central Asia could expand further.

Russia continues to view Central Asia as part of its traditional sphere of influence, though its dominance is increasingly challenged by China’s growing economic presence in the region. Moscow’s influence has also been affected by its ongoing war in Ukraine and by tighter controls on migrant workers following a deadly attack near Moscow last year.