Moscow: 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.

According to Anadolu Agency, Putin expressed Russia's readiness to allocate $1 billion to the Board of Peace, with a primary focus on aiding the Palestinian people and contributing to the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip. Putin emphasized that Russia's stance on the Palestinian issue and Middle East settlement remains consistent. The topic of frozen Russian assets had already been a subject of discussion between Russia and the US.

Earlier Thursday, Witkoff mentioned at a Ukrainian event in Davos that significant progress had been achieved in Russia-Ukraine peace talks, noting that negotiations had narrowed down to a single issue. This development comes in the wake of the White House's recent announcement about the establishment of the Board of Peace, inviting numerous nations to become members. A $1 billion payment reportedly secures a permanent seat on the board.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed earlier this week that he had received an invitation to join the board. However, he raised concerns about Ukraine's participation alongside Russia and Belarus.