Russia slams 'irresponsible' Trump's call over disputed Golan Heights

Russia's foreign ministry said on Friday that U.S. President Donald Trump's call for Washington to recognise Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights was irresponsible, RIA news agency reported, quoting ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. Earlier in the day, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov had said that "It is just a call for now. Let's hope it will remain a call," reacting to Trump's tweet.

President Trump declared on Thursday that the United States should recognize Israel's authority over the long-disputed Golan Heights, delivering a valuable election-eve gift to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu but jettisoning decades of American policy in the Middle East.

Trump's announcement, in a midday Twitter post, came after persistent pressure from Netanyahu, a close political ally who is fighting for his survival in the election scheduled for April 9 and has invoked his friendship with the American president as a prime argument for staying in office.