Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin met Sunday at a World War I memorial service in Paris. This was the two leaders' first meeting since the Sept. 17 downing of a Russian plane by Syrian air defenses trying to counter an Israeli airstrike on Iranian assets in the war-torn country.
"The conversation with President Putin was good and businesslike. I would even describe it as very important," Netanyahu told reporters, adding that he also spoke there with U.S. President Donald Trump.
Relations between Israel and Moscow have been tense since the plane's downing. Following the incident, Russia delivered S-300 surface-to-air missiles to Syria, despite Israel's warnings that the deployment of such weapons may further destabilize the region.
Israel and Russia have maintained a military coordination mechanism for Syria as Russia has provided key air support to President Bashar Assad's forces, while Israel has carried out dozens of strikes against Iran-linked forces.
