Putin thought he had a deal in Helsinki

“With the United States recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights,” writes Maxim Suchkov, “the ‘security buffer’ between Israeli and Syrian/Iranian forces that Moscow sought to establish may be put into question, raising risks for a direct collision of enemy forces.”

“During the Helsinki summit that brought together [US President Donald] Trump and [Russian President Vladmir] Putin in July 2018,” adds Suchkov, “the Golan Heights was arguably the main item Putin could offer Trump to discuss in terms of US-Russia cooperation. It is becoming one irritating issue in bilateral relations if the two countries