Netanyahu, Putin agree to continue coordination in Syria

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to continue coordinating to allow for Israeli airstrikes in Syria, in a phone conversation on Monday.

“I talked to [Putin] about Syria and ensuring the air force’s freedom to act in that area. It’s very important for Israeli security,” Netanyahu said soon after.

The leaders “noted a mutual interest in continuing coordination in the Syrian sector to counter international terrorism,” the Kremlin readout of Monday’s call states.

Israel has maintained a policy of airstrikes on Iranian targets in Syria, to prevent their entrenchment along Israel’s northern border. Israeli and Russian officials have been in continual contact about the situation in Syria, where Russia has a significant military presence.

Neither side mentioned Iran in their statements. Russia voted against extending the UN arms embargo in Iran in the UN Security Council this month, and opposed the US attempt to “snapback” those sanctions.

The leaders also discussed the normalization between Israel and the UAE. Putin emphasized Russia’s “principled position in support of a just, comprehensive and sustainable solution to the Palestinian problem and expressed the hope that the agreement…would contribute to strengthening stability and security in the region,” the Kremlin said.

Netanyahu and Putin also agreed to have their countries cooperate in research and production of a coronavirus vaccine.

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