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Bennett, Putin discuss security, diplomacy in first phone call

Israeli leaders have been forced to maneuver between conflicting U.S and Russian interests.

By World Israel News Staff

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Russian President Vladimir Putin held their first phone conversation Monday.

According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the two leaders discussed a number of unspecified diplomatic and security issues, including Russian assistance in freeing Israeli captives and MIAs.

They agreed to soon hold a face-to-face meeting.

Putin is a key backer of Syrian President Bashar Assad, with direct military intervention in the Syrian Civil War beginning in 2015. While the Russian military operates a naval base in Tartus and three air bases around Syria, Moscow has turned a blind eye towards Israeli strikes in Syria targeting Iran and its proxies. Putin and former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu boosted their communication to avoid Israeli and Russian forces coming into conflict.

Israel reportedly has a quid-pro-quo not to sell advanced weapons to Georgia and Ukraine in exchange for Russia not selling advanced weapons to Iran.

Israeli leaders have been forced to maneuver between conflicting U.S and Russian interests.

Around one million Russian Jews live in Israel today.

Putin, in a meeting with Netanyahu almost two years ago, praised the “new quality” of Russian-Israeli security ties and said that he considered Israelis who immigrated from the former Soviet Union as “our people, our compatriots.” Netanyahu called the immigrants a “human bridge” between the countries.