Putin and Saudi King speak by phone

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Saudi Arabia's King Salman discussed on Monday ways to resolve the crisis in Syria, the Kremlin said in a statement. Both leaders, speaking by phone, also expressed concern about Israeli-Palestinian violence. DEBKAfile: The Russian leader tried to talk Salman round to accepting his proposal for resolving the Syrian crisis. Earlier, Russia announced that the US-backed rebel Free Syrian Army had sent a delegation to Moscow, a hint that some of the rebel groups were willing to back Putin’s plan for ending the Syrian war.