Russia’s Putin hosts Israeli PM Bennett to talk about Syria, Iran

Russian President Vladimir Putin has hosted new Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett for the pair’s first in-person meeting, with talks focused on Iran and the situation in Syria.

Putin said that Russia, which launched its military campaign in Syria in 2015, has been “making efforts” to restore the country’s statehood and strengthen it.

Russia and Israel established a military hotline to coordinate air force operations over Syria to avoid clashes, but in 2018, their ties were tested by the downing of a Russian warplane by Syrian forces following an Israeli air raid.

Russia is one of the international parties that negotiated a 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran.

US President Joe Biden is now trying to revive the deal with other international powers – a step that Israel opposes.