Putin Warned Netanyahu Over Airstrikes: Report

Date: 14 September 2019 - 21:32

News ID: ۷۰۴۴۶

LONDON (Dispatches) – Russia has moved to prevent Israeli airstrikes in Syria, with Russian President Vladimir Putin warning Zionist PM Benjamin Netanyahu against the strikes, a UK-based newspaper reports.
Putin told Netanyahu that allowing Israeli strikes on Syrian military assets would undermine Moscow’s relations with Damascus, the Arabic edition of the Independent newspaper reported.
The report came after Netanyahu met with Putin in the resort city of Sochi on Thursday to discuss "security coordination” in Syria.
According to an unnamed Russian source cited in the report, Moscow also threatened to use its "fighter jets or the S-400 air defense system” in order to counter any Israeli aircraft striking Syria.
In August, Moscow stopped an airstrike on the strategic Qasioun region near Damascus, where a Syrian S-300 missile battery is said to be placed, according to the report.
Moscow allegedly prevented another airstrike later on a Syrian outpost in the southwestern province of Quneitra and a third in the western coastal province of Latakia.
Syria has intercepted several missile attacks by the occupying regime in the past month, casting doubt on the extent of Russian commitment to counter Israeli ambitions.
The Zionist regime has acknowledged repeatedly launching attacks against Syria in recent years, some of which have been carried out from Lebanese airspace.

Such aggressive moves have been viewed by observers as attempts to weaken the Damascus government as it increasingly gains the upper hand fighting terrorist groups which have plagued the country since 2011.

‘A Failed Meeting’

The Independent report also cited unnamed Israeli sources who described Netanyahu’s meeting with Putin as "a failure”, falling short of reducing any Syria policy disagreements with Moscow.
Zionist sources added that Israel airstrikes on Syria had "embarrassed” the Russians. During the "failed" meeting, Netanyahu called for Tel Aviv to be given "freedom of action” against Iran by Russia, the report said.
The Israeli prime minister had even sought to use the meeting to "present positive message of the cooperation” between Tel Aviv and Moscow for his election campaign but the effort failed, the report wrote.
According to the Russian source, Putin’s disagreements with Netanyahu also went as far as the Russian leader condemning Tel Aviv’s recent actions in Lebanon and saying he "rejects the aggression towards Lebanon's sovereignty."
The occupying regime of Israel launched a number of drone attacks on Lebanon last month.