Russia 'recognises West Jerusalem' as Israel's capital

Moscow has become the first country to recognise West Jerusalem as the capital city of Israel, in a surprise and unprecedented move on Thursday.

This is a departure from the official stance of the international community that acknowledges Israel's capital as the Mediterranean city of Tel Aviv.

"We reaffirm our commitment to the UN-approved principles for a Palestinian-Israeli settlement, which include the status of East Jerusalem as the capital of the future Palestinian state. At the same time, we must state that in this context we view West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel," the Kremlin's foreign ministry said in a statement.

Officials in Tel Aviv were timid in their response, with many shocked by the move.

Israel's Foreign Minister Emmanuel Nahshon's response was ambiguous, saying that Israel is currently "studying" the matter.

The motives and steps of implications of the Kremlin's move are currently unclear.