Israel PM meets Putin at Kremlin for Ukraine talks: spokesman

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett met Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin on Saturday to discuss Ukraine, his spokesman said, after Israel reportedly offered to mediate between Moscow and Kyiv.

"Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has just concluded a meeting in the Kremlin with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The meeting lasted for about two and a half hours," said a statement from the Israeli premier's office.

Putin announced the launch of a major offensive on Ukraine in the early hours of 24 February. Hours later, Russian ground forces crossed into Ukraine from several directions.

He launched the unprovoked invasion after recognising the two rebel republics in eastern Ukraine and signing friendship treaties with them.

From the start of the invasion, Syrian opposition factions expressed their solidarity with Ukraine.

Syria's National Coalition for Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces - the country's main opposition group - lambasted Russia's operation, which came after nearly seven years of waves of Russian bombing of rebel areas in Syria.