Russia’s Putin, Saudi king discuss Khashoggi issue

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz held a phone talk on Thursday evening, a statement by the Kremlin said.

The two leaders discussed the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul and the situation in Syria, the statement said.

The talk was initiated by the Saudi side, it added.

Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist and columnist for The Washington Post, had gone missing since entering the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2.

After days of denying any knowledge of his whereabouts, Saudi officials last week admitted that Khashoggi was killed in a "brawl" at the consulate.

During their conversation, the Saudi king also invited Putin to visit his country, the statement said.