Russian President Vladimir Putin is spending Tuesday with Palestinian leaders in Ramallah and Bethlehem following a day in Israel. Little was said to reveal the substance of private talks between Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, although following lunch together Netanyahu told reporters he listed three things that need to happen vis-à-vis Iran and its nuclear ambitions: strengthening sanctions; boosting Western demands; and action by the international community to end uranium enrichment while removing already- enriched uranium from Iran altogether. Western leaders have disagreed with Netanyahu and are seemingly satisfied with limiting the degree to which uranium is enriched – a policy the Israelis see as short-sighted and dangerous. Netanyahu said he and Putin agreed that “Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons is a grave threat first and foremost to Israel but also to the region and to the world.” The Palestinians view the Putin visit as an important event in light of the perception that the US has higher priorities than the Mideast peace track and Russia wants to increase its position in the region. While the Palestinians feel the US is distinctly on Israel’s side in the conflict, Russia has been more supportive of its claims. Nevertheless, in an apparent reference to the Palestinian effort to obtain recognition of statehood and full membership at the UN, a member of Putin’s staff told an Israeli newspaper that the Russian president will counsel Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas not to “take unilateral steps.”