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Trump after Helsinki: ‘Putin helping Netanyahu a lot, which is good for all of us’

The US president tells Fox News after his summit that the Russian president is helping Israel, “which is good for all us.”

By: World Israel News Staff

US President Donald Trump said Monday after his summit with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin that “really good conclusions” were reached regarding Israel.

He also said that Putin is a strong supporter of Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“We came to a lot of good conclusions. A really good conclusion for Israel. Something very strong,” Trump told Fox News immediately after the end of the summit in Helsinki.

Trump said Putin was “a believer in Israel.

“He’s a fan of Bibi,” he added, using Netanyahu’s nickname. “Really helping him a lot and will help him a lot, which is good for all of us.”

Trump said Putin also wants to tackle terrorism, although the Russian leader claims the United States’ exit from the Iran nuclear deal represents a sticking point with the Kremlin.

Trump did not offer any specifics on what was discussed that related to Israel at the meeting in Helsinki, where Iran’s presence in Syria was expected to be a main topic of conversation between the two world leaders.

Netanyahu met with Putin in Moscow last week to discuss Iranian entrenchment in Syria. On Saturday, Netanyahu spoke to Trump by phone about the issue. Israel has been trying to rally Russia to support removing Iranian-backed militias as far as possible from the border region on the Golan Heights.

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At a joint press conference with the Russian leader earlier, Trump said that Moscow “would like to do certain things with Syria having to do with the safety of Israel… We absolutely would like to work in order to help Israel, and Israel will be working with us. So both countries work jointly [for this purpose].”

Trump added that “creating safety for Israel is something both Putin and I would like to see very much.”

At the conference, Putin said that during his “very successful” one-on-one meeting, Trump placed a special emphasis on maintaining Israel’s security.

He said he and Trump agreed on securing Israel’s border with Syria, in accordance with the 1974 disengagement of forces deal following the Yom Kippur War.

When terrorist forces are wiped out in south and west Syria, Putin said, “the situation on the Golan Heights must be restored to what it was after the 1974 agreement, which set out the terms for the disengagement of forces between Israel and Syria.”

In a statement following the press conference Monday, Netanyahu thanked the two leaders for their commitment to Israeli security.

He praised Trump, saying “the friendship between Israel and the US has never been stronger.”

Netanyahu “very much appreciates the security coordination between Israel and Russia and the clear position expressed by President Putin regarding the need to uphold the 1974 Separation of Forces Agreement between Israel and Syria,” the statement added.