MOSCOW, May 13 (RIA Novosti) – Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday to discuss the crisis in Syria, the Kremlin’s press service said on Monday.
Netanyahu is to visit Russia on a working trip. The two leaders are expected to discuss “key issues of bilateral relations,” focusing on the situation in the Middle East and “primarily…Syria.”
The leaders discussed the Syrian crisis by telephone on May 6, after reports emerged that Israel had carried out several air strikes on Syrian territory in the previous few days.
Netanyahu will discuss Russian weapons supplies to Syria, a high-ranking source in Jerusalem told RIA Novosti on Saturday.
The Wall Street Journal reported last Wednesday that Israel has warned the United States that Russia plans to sell Syria advanced S-300 air defense missile systems. Damascus has traditionally relied on Moscow for supplies of weapons, particularly air defense systems.
Russia’s weapons supplies to Syria were also on the agenda at Friday’s talks in Sochi between Putin and British Prime Minister David Cameron. The Russian side maintained its position that it is simply honoring existing contracts, a source in the Russian delegation said.