The Putin Perspective

Washington Post: MOSCOW, Jan. 31—Russian President Vladimir Putin described the electoral victory of the radical Islamic group Hamas in the Palestinian elections as “a big blow to American efforts in the Middle East, a very serious blow,” but he said Russia would not support any efforts to cut off financial assistance to the Palestinians.

“Our position on Hamas is different from that of the United States and Western Europe,” said Putin, speaking at an annual news conference in the Kremlin. “The Russian Foreign Ministry has never regarded Hamas as a terrorist organization. But this does not mean that we totally approve and support everything that Hamas has done.” | story
He doesn’t regard Hamas as a terrorist organization and won’t support cutting off its funding.