Netanyahu to meet Putin in Moscow five days before elections


Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will travel to Moscow for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin later this week, his office announced on Tuesday.
The Prime Minister’s Office did not provide further details about the meeting, which is set to take place Thursday in the Kremlin — five days before Israel’s Knesset elections.
Russia confirmed the meeting.
“An agreement has been reached that on April 4 Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu will fly to Moscow for a brief working visit. On April 4 such brief working talks will be held and the sides will synchronize their watches,” according to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry.
Putin and Netanyahu spoke on the phone on Monday and discussed “regional issues,” the PMO said that day, without elaborating.
Netanyahu has boasted of his close personal ties to world leaders, including Putin, during the current election campaign, arguing that his diplomatic skills are unrivaled.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Russian President Vladimir Putin that Israel will continue to take action against Iran in Syria, in the first significant meeting between the two since a major spat developed over a downed spy plane last year.
“The greatest threat to stability and security in the region comes from Iran and its proxies,” Netanyahu said. “We are determined to continue our aggressive activity against Iran, which calls for our destruction, and against its attempts to establish itself militarily in Syria.”