Putin: Trump emphasized Israel’s security at US-Russia summit

In a meeting on Monday, the leaders of the US and Russia discussed their countries’ commitment to and collaboration on Israel’s security.

By: World Israel News Staff

In a meeting between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Helsinki, Finland on Monday, the two leaders specifically addressed Israel’s position on its neighbor Syria and the Iranian military presence in the war-torn nation.

At a joint press conference following the summit, Putin commented that Trump “paid particular attention” to Israel’s security, reported the Jerusalem Post. Trump, for his part, noted that the US and Russia work together toward the goal of ensuring Israel’s security, specifically as it relates to Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria and its troops’ advance on rebel positions near Israel’s Golan Heights.

Trump also referred to Russian cooperation with Israel as a “great thing,” according to the Post.

While Trump and Putin mentioned “cooperation” and “joint work,” respectively, in Syria, Russia has backed Assad’s brutal regime throughout the nation’s civil war, while the US leads a coalition assisting the Syrian opposition and the Federation of Northern Syria, which seek to overthrow Assad.

Israel’s primary concern in Syria is Assad’s willingness to permit entrenchment by the military of Iran, which has made the Jewish state’s destruction a central policy and talking point since Islamic extremists took over Iran in 1979.

A number of recent airstrikes in Syria have been attributed to Israel, with the most recent one occurring on Sunday night.

Syrian rebel forces claimed that 22 people, including nine Iranians, were killed during this strike in northern Syria, reporteed al-Jazeera on Monday.

The Iranian forces were stationed at a Syrian military base outside of Aleppo.

The Iranian military presence in Syria remains a red line for Israel, which has not only warned Assad and Tehran but has also taken concrete steps including confirmed strikes.