Russia asks Israel to help ease U.S. sanctions on Assad regime

Russian President Vladimir Putin has asked Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett to encourage the US to ease some of its sanctions on Syria's Bashar al-Assad regime so Russian companies can take part in the country's reconstruction, a report said Wednesday.

The Axios news site, citing unidentified Israeli authorities, said Moscow wants to get most of the large-scale reconstruction projects in Syria in a bid to boost revenues while increasing its influence on the Syrian economy.

The report said Putin told Bennett during a meeting in Sochi last week that some Russian companies were afraid to do business in Syria because they could be targeted by US sanctions.

Russians argue that the US sanctions open the way for Iranian firms, which are already under sanctions, to get the major reconstruction projects, leading to an increase in Iranian influence in Syria, the report added, citing the unnamed Israeli officials.