A rapid Russian build-up in Syria, which regional sources have said includes warplanes and anti-aircraft systems, worries Israel, whose jets have on occasion bombed the neighboring Arab country to foil suspected handovers of advanced arms to Assad’s Lebanese guerrilla allies Hezbollah.
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A former strategic adviser to Netanyahu said the Israeli leader would try to work out “ground rules” with Putin about avoiding such clashes.
Putin was hosting Netanyahu at the Kremlin on Monday ahead of his visit to the United States and amid fears of a Russian military build-up in Syria.
Netanyahu will tell Putin that Israel won’t accept restrictions on its response capabilities in Syria, Cohen said.
Netanyahu will likely be keen to discuss increasing reports of Russian military involvement in Syria, which the Kremlin maintains is largely that of a supplier of military technology, having repeatedly denied press reports of potential Russian troop deployments to the region.
“It was very important to come here in order to clarify our position and to do everything to avoid any misunderstandings between our forces”, Netanyahu said at the start of the meeting.
Putin has pledged to continue military support for Assad, assistance that Russian Federation says is in line with global law. The U.S.is also engaged in a dialogue with Russian Federation about its military presence in Syria.
“He will describe the threats to Israel following the military reinforcement in the Syrian arena and the supply of weapons to Hezbollah and other terrorist organisations”, the statement said.
Israel is also concerned that top-of-the-line Russian military hardware now being deployed could benefit Hezbollah and one day be turned against the Jewish state.
Though many of these weapons systems were intended for Syria, some have nevertheless ended up in the hands of Hezbollah, according to Nadav Pollak, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Russian Federation has been focusing forces on Syria’s coast, where Moscow keeps a big Mediterranean naval base.
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Netanyahu took along top Israeli generals for his talks with Putin, who is trying to prop up Syrian President Bashar al-Assad against an Islamist-led Syrian insurgency in its fifth year.
