Putin tells Netanyahu to cease ‘unfounded’ claims against Assad

Putin expressed his dismay with “unfounded accusations” in Israel faulting Syria’s president Bashar al-Assad for a chemical weapons attack on Tuesday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his displeasure with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a telephone conversation on Thursday, regarding Israeli assessments that hold Syrian President Bashar al-Assad responsible for the chemical weapons attack in Syria’s Idlib province on Tuesday.

“Putin in particular underlined the unacceptability of making unfounded accusations against anyone before a thorough and impartial international investigation is carried out,” the Kremlin said.

Putin was referencing senior security and intelligence officials in Israel who blamed the Syrian government for Tuesday’s chemical weapons attack. Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman said “with 100 percent certainty,” the attack was “carried out on the direct order and planned by the Syrian president, Bashar Assad, using Syrian planes,” while speaking with Israel’s Yedioth Ahronoth. 

Both leaders apparently shared their perspectives on the attack.

“There was an exchange of opinions over the incident with chemical weapons that took place in the Syrian province of Idlib on April 4,” Moscow added in a statement.

The Prime Minister’s Office said Netanyahu told Putin the international community needs to “complete the effort to remove chemical weapons from Syria, as was agreed upon in 2013.”

Netanyahu made similar remarks on Tuesday saying “there’s no, none, no excuse whatsoever for the deliberate attacks on civilians and on children, especially with cruel and outlawed chemical weapons.”

“I call on the international community to fulfill its obligation from 2013 to fully and finally remove these horrible weapons from Syria,” Netanyahu added.

By: Jonathan Benedek, World Israel News

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