While Russia told visiting Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal on Tuesday that it will try to convince the Quartet to lift the boycott of the Palestinian Authority government, Moscow will have its hands full as both the European Union and United Nations reaffirmed Tuesday that they were not interested in "playing ball" with the PA until it accepts the three international requirements. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice made the US position on this abundantly clear during her meeting in Jerusalem last week. The Quartet is made up of the US, the EU, Russia and the UN. Mashaal was greeted in Moscow on Tuesday, the second time since Hamas won the Palestinian Legislative elections last January, by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, in what appeared to be a crack in the Quartet's solidarity to keep Hamas at arm's length until it accepts the three principles.
Lavrov said after the meeting that Hamas had pledged to end missile attacks and violence against Israel. "Hamas should use its authority to stop violence including missile attacks against Israel," Lavrov said. "We received confirmation that such steps will be taken."