BICOM

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has cancelled a planned visit to Paris next week to attend a summit to commemorate the centenary of the end of the First World War.

Israel’s Kan News reported last night that Netanyahu pulled out of the summit when it became clear he would not be able to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The two leaders haven’t met since a Russian reconnaissance plane was shot down by Syrian missiles in September. Russia blamed Israeli airstrikes for creating a dangerous situation for the Russian plane.

Israel-Russia relations have been tense since the incident. In an interview this week to the Spanish newspaper El Pais, Russian Foreign Minister Seregi Lavrov said Russia had warned Israel of its obligations under the deconfliction agreement and that any abrogation could lead to tragic consequences. He added: “Simultaneously we stressed that the use of force was unable to resolve Israeli security concerns and could only foment regional tensions.”

Israeli Environment Minister Ze’ev Elkin, who is also co-chair of the Russia-Israel Intergovernmental Commission, told Russian media on Monday that Russia’s decision to supply Syria with the S-300 missile defence system “might lead to destabilisation of the situation”.

Russia has deployed a new warship with long-range Kalibr cruise missiles to the Mediterranean Sea. The Russian Defence Ministry said the Black Sea Fleet’s frigate Admiral Makarov has left Sevastopol navy base for the Black Sea straits. “The vessel will be acting in the standing naval force of the Russian fleet in the Mediterranean,” the statement said.

Russia deployed several warships to the Mediterranean this summer, including the Admiral Grigorovich, Admiral Essen and Pytlivy frigates, along with the landing ship Nikolai Filchenkov and the Vishny Volochek missile corvette.