Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Wednesday evening and called upon him “to desist from any actions that would upset the status quo in Syria and would jeopardize its security.” Putin emphasized that it is imperative to maintain Syrian independence and control of its borders.

Putin tried to calm tensions during the call and said: “We will uphold all of our international responsibilities in Syria. The current situation in the world is worrisome. However, I believe that rational logic will prevail. We will work to build good relationships with all of our partners around the globe.”

Earlier in the day, a spokesperson for the Kremlin responded to tweets made by U.S. President Donald Trump and said: “Our country (Russia) does not believe in the Twitter version of diplomacy. We support serious dialogue. It is important that no steps are taken t upset the current fragile and tense situation that we are embroiled in in Syria.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)