Russian-Israeli talks over Syrian situation

Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, right, during their meeting in the Novo-Ogaryovo residence, outside Moscow, Russia. (AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev, Pool)

Russian President Vladimir Putin has sought to allay Israeli concerns at Russia’s military build-up in Syria. At talks in Moscow, he told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Russia’s actions in the Middle East would always be “responsible”.

Netanyahu is concerned by the possibility of Israeli and Russian forces inadvertently trading fire. Israel has periodically struck inside Syria against militants it says have been plotting attacks against it.

It has also responded to shellfire from forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who Russia has backed throughout the four-year uprising against his rule.

But in the past week, US officials have confirmed reports that the Russian military has sent warplanes, helicopters, tanks, artillery guns, armored personnel carriers and 200 marines to an airfield near Mr Assad’s ancestral home in Latakia province.

They believe Moscow plans to turn the airfield into a forward operating base that could allow it to send a large number of troops to Syria and launch air strikes.

Netanyahu said Iran and Syria were “trying to set up a second terrorist front on the Golan Heights”, a Syrian plateau which was mostly captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war. While Putin assured Netanyahu that Syria had no interest in attacking Israel.

“We know that the Syrian army and Syria as a whole are in such a state that they have no time for a second front. They need to save their own state,” he said.

Russia acknowledges supplying weapons to Syria and sending military experts to train government forces in their use, but denies they are involved in combat.