Russian President Vladimir Putin has briefed US and Israeli leaders on the recent visit of Hamas to Moscow.
Senior leaders of Hamas, who are forming a new Palestinian government following a landslide win in January 25th parliamentary elections, visited Moscow at Mr Putin's invitation on their first trip to a major foreign power.
The Kremlin said Mr Putin telephoned President Bush and Israel's interim Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, yesterday.
Mr Putin was told by Israel that he had made a mistake in inviting the militant group for discussions.
Mr Olmert's office said in a statement that Mr Putin stressed the importance of negotiations with Hamas, despite the group's refusal to recognise Israel or disband its armed wing.
"[Mr Olmert] noted that Russia's contacts with Hamas only encouraged Hamas not to make changes the international community has demanded before it can become a negotiating partner," the statement said.
Explaining Russia's position, Mr Putin said "negotiations are always held with a second party whose positions are difficult and complicated", according to the statement, posted on the Israeli Prime Minister's Office website.
But underlining the sensitive nature of the Hamas trip, Mr Putin conspicuously avoided contact with Hamas leaders themselves, even though they toured the Kremlin.
Russia, along with the United States, the European Union and the United Nations, is a member of the Quartet involved in a search for an Israeli-Palestinian settlement.
Hamas, which hopes to gain a measure of international standing from its Moscow talks, demands that Israel quit lands it occupied in the 1967 Middle East war.