Russian President Vladimir Putin landed in Israel on Thursday morning and was greeted by Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu met with Putin at the Prime Minister’s Residence on Balfour Street when the Russian President arrived in Jerusalem. Later, Naama Issachar’s mother, Yaffa Issachar, joined the meeting together with the Patriarch Theophilus III of the Orthodox Church in Jerusalem, who arranged the meeting between Putin and Issachar.

“Everything will be okay,” Putin said to Issachar. After the meeting, Putin stated: “I met with Naama’s mother and it’s clear that she’s from a good family. We will take all factors into account when we make the decision. I said to Yaffa and I will say again – everything will be okay.” Putin added that a human rights official will visit Naama in prison on Thursday.

Putin, Netanyahu and President Reuven Rivlin then attended the unveiling of a monument for the victims of the Siege of Leningrad in World War II in Gan Sacher. Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion and Alexander Beglov, Governor of St. Petersburg (formerly Leningrad), also attended the event.

About 100 Russian journalists arrived in Israel on Thursday to report on Putin’s activities and speech and the monument’s unveiling,

Putin is also meeting with Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas in Beit Lechem on Thursday.

US Vice President Mike Pence also landed in Israel on Thursday morning, minutes before Putin, and was greeted by Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz.

פסגת המנהיגים בירושלים | רה"מ @netanyahu לנשיא רוסיה פוטין: "ידידנו הגדול נשיא רוסיה, אנו שמחים לארח אותך שוב בביתנו כאן בירושלים ולהודות לך על הקשר האמיץ בין רוסיה וישראל שמשרת את העמים שלנו ואת השלום והיציבות באזור. ברוך בואך לירושלים" • צפו בדברים pic.twitter.com/jfsZszvLm7

— חדשות 13 (@newsisrael13) January 23, 2020

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)