TEL AVIV – A Russian proposal to keep Iranian forces in Syria 100 kilometers (62 miles) away from Israel’s northern border has been rejected by Jerusalem since Iran’s long-range weapons can circumvent the buffer, a senior Israeli official said following a meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived in Pyongyang on Thursday to meet with his opposite number, North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho. Lavrov also met with dictator Kim Jong-un and invited him to visit Moscow for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In an interview with Russian media on Friday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow warned U.S. forces not to bomb certain areas when it led airstrikes on Syria last week to punish dictator Bashar Assad for using chemical weapons.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov claimed on Friday that Russian experts have “found no traces of chemical weapons” at the site of the attack in Douma, Syria. He accused foreign intelligence services of faking the attack to justify action against Syria and discredit Russia.
TEL AVIV – In comments that appeared to refer to the Syria missile strike attributed to Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that the Jewish state will retaliate against anyone harboring aspirations to harm his country.
After speaking with North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho in Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that his government supports denuclearization talks between North Korea and the United States.
Iran’s “moderate” President Hassan Rouhani declared on Tuesday that his country could pull out of Barack Obama’s nuclear deal and restart its weapons program in a matter of hours, if the United States imposes any further sanctions.
Both U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov attended the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting in the Philippines this weekend. On Sunday, the two had what Tillerson described as a “lengthy” meeting on the sidelines of the conference. Both emerged from the meeting with cautious flickers of optimism that U.S.-Russia relations might be improved.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Monday that a ceasefire deal in southern Syria brokered by Washington and Moscow took into consideration Israel’s security needs, despite Israeli concerns that it will enable an increased Iranian presence on Israel’s northern border.
Syria has denied White House allegations that it may be preparing a new chemical attack, insisting again that it has never used such arms.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said he is willing to share what transpired between President Donald Trump and Russian diplomats during recent meetings, which will show that no classified intelligence was discussed.
WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump on Wednesday called on Russia to rein in Syrian President Bashar Assad and his key ally Iran, as Washington and Moscow sought to boost their fragile ties with high-profile White House talks.
“The U.S. global ballistic missile defense poses a deep risk to the security of the region,” declared Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Monday after meeting with Japanese officials in Tokyo.
The first official conversation between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled for Saturday, according to an administration official who spoke to CNN.
Russian investigators worked Tuesday to determine whether the assassination of their ambassador to Turkey was the work of a lone gunman or part of a wider conspiracy as the two countries, which have backed opposing sides in the Syrian war, said they would not let the killing disrupt efforts to repair their relationship.
The Islamic State has once again attacked the Syrian city of Palmyra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and according to several accounts, they have recaptured the city despite heavy Russian and Syrian aerial bombardment.
Russia said Monday it would hold talks with Washington on a total rebel withdrawal from Syria’s Aleppo, where the army has made sweeping advances, but opposition factions rejected any evacuation.
Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani on Saturday said Tehran and Moscow would continue to cooperate in the Syrian war “until the ultimate goal of eradicating terrorism and restoring peace and full security to the region is achieved.”
In an interview with Christiane Amanpour of CNN, devoted largely to allegations of sinister Russian influence in the U.S. presidential election, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov dropped a sound bite that is likely to eclipse everything else he said.
US Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart resumed discussions on Syria on Wednesday despite a US decision earlier this week to suspend direct talks with Moscow on trying to end the conflict.
Secretary of State John Kerry is threatening to cut off all contacts with Moscow over Syria, unless Russian and Syrian government attacks on Aleppo end.
It was more than a little discordant to hear Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov tell the U.N. General Assembly on Friday that it is “essential to prevent disruption” of the Syrian ceasefire agreement, while Syrian warplanes — allegedly with Russian help — were showering bombs on the besieged city of Aleppo, with a ground operation waiting in the wings.
The United States and Russia ended any pretenses Thursday of their cease-fire for Syria remaining in force after days of increased violence and the Syrian military’s announcement of a new offensive in Aleppo.
