...Second and fourth President and sixth of the Russian Federation and the first to remain sober. Putin is credited with bringing political stability and re-establishing something like the rule of law, which occasionally results in somebody dropping dead from polonium poisoning. Under Putin, a new group of business magnates controlling significant swathes of Russia's economy has emerged, all of whom have close personal ties to Putin. The old bunch, without close personal ties to Putin, are in jail or in exile or dead...told the visiting Zionist prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the Zionist concerns that Syria would provide advanced weapons to the Lebanese Resistance movement of Hezbollah are exaggerated, considering that the country is fighting for survival.
Netanyahu was in Moscow on Monday to discuss the security situation in the Middle East and clarify Russia's position.
"Israel and Russia have common goals -- to ensure stability in the Middle East," Netanyahu said, claiming that Damascus and Tehran are working to "create a second terrorist front in the Golan Heights."
"The Israeli concerns are exaggerated," Putin assured Netanyahu.
"We have always condemned the rocket attacks on Israel, but as far as I know those rockets are home-made," Putin said. "As for Syria, we know and understand that the Syrian army and the country in general are not in a condition to open a second front. The Syrians are busy fighting for their own statehood."