Shunned by Israel and the United States since the parliamentary poll, the Islamist militant group whose charter calls for the Jewish state's destruction hoped to gain a measure of international standing from the Moscow talks before forming a government.

The six-member delegation led by exiled Hamas politburo chief Khaled Meshaal met first with Alexander Saltanov, a deputy Russian foreign minister. The visit was expected to last three days.

But even before the first meeting, Hamas dimmed hopes of a peace breakthrough by saying it was firm in its refusal to recognise Israel -- a key Western demand.

"The issue of recognition is a done issue. We are not going to recognise Israel," Mohammed Nazzal, a senior official accompanying Meshaal, told reporters in Moscow.

Although the visit dealt a blow to US-led efforts to isolate Hamas, Russia's mediation is seen by some in the West as a chance to push the group into embracing more moderate views.