“We state that from now on we refuse to cooperate in any form with the US in its status of a mediator, as we stand against its actions,” said Abbas in a meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Monday.

He added that his country wanted an expanded new mediation mechanism to substitute the Middle East Quartet which comprises the UN, the US, Russia, and the European Union.

“For instance, ‘the quartet’ plus some other countries like the model used to achieve the deal on Iran,” Abbas said, referring to international talks about Tehran’s nuclear program.

The meeting comes amid anger among Palestinians at US President Donald Trump’s latest hostile measures in favor of Israeli regime, including his decision last December to recognize al-Quds (Jerusalem) as the “capital” of the regime and begin work to transfer Washington’s embassy from Tel Aviv to the occupied city.

On January 14, Abbas said that Trump’s so-called Middle East peace efforts are the “slap of the century” after his recognition of al-Quds as Israel’s capital.

All rounds of talks between Israelis and Palestinians have stalled so far mainly due to the Tel Aviv regime’s refusal to stop its unlawful settlement expansion on the occupied territories.

Israel occupied the West Bank and East al-Quds during the Six-Day War in 1967. It later annexed East al-Quds in a move not recognized by the international community.

Palestinians want the resolution of the conflict with Tel Aviv based on the so-called two-state solution along the pre-1967 boundaries. However, the Israeli officials insist on maintaining the occupation of Palestinian territories.