Netanyahu, Putin to discuss Russian arms to Syria

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will visit Russia next week and meet with President Vladimir Putin, officials in his office say.

At the top of the prime minister’s agenda will be the recent surge in Russian involvement in Syria. Reports over the past two weeks indicate that Russia has been sending Syria advanced weapons systems as well as deploying a small number of troops, jet pilots and operators of advanced armored personnel carriers among them.

“The prime minister will present [to Putin] the threats against Israel as a result of the increased flow of advanced weapons to the Syrian theater and the leaking of lethal arms to Hezbollah and other terror groups,” the statement from the Prime Minister’s Office says.

The visit is the second major tour abroad recently after Netanyahu met with British Prime Minister David Cameron last week.