JERUSALEM - Russian President Vladimir Putin is about to embark on the first visit by a Kremlin leader to the Jewish state, a historic bid to cement improving relations after decades of Soviet-era strain.

Putin is due to arrive from Egypt this evening for a three-day visit that is also aimed at reasserting Russia's role in the Middle East and burnishing his own image as a world leader amid accusations of backsliding on democracy at home.

But it comes as increasingly close ties between the two countries are threatened by Russia's determination to push ahead with a missile sale to Syria that Israel considers gravely threatening.

Other potential sore points are Moscow's nuclear aid to Iran, signs of rising anti-Semitism in Russia and the Kremlin's push for extradition of billionaires it wants to prosecute in the campaign against the oil company Yukos.

"There will be difficult moments," said Alexander Shumilin, director of a Mideast analysis center at Moscow's USA and Canada Institute. He called the visit "part of an effort to create a new profile for Russia around the world, and particularly in the Middle East."

The Soviet Union supported Israel around the time of its creation in 1948 but later shifted its stance, providing military and political support for Arab countries and siding with the Palestinians in international debates, while barring many Jews from emigrating.

Relations have improved since the 1991 Soviet collapse - particularly under Putin, who is eager to push Russia's economic interests abroad and sees parallels between Israel's conflict with Palestinian militants and Russia's campaign against Chechen rebels.

The volume of trade between Russia and Israel has exceeded $1 billion annually, but Putin's deputy press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, said Tuesday that was "clearly not enough" and that increasing economic ties, including in the high-tech and energy sectors, would be on the agenda.

Other key issues, Peskov said, would be cooperation against terrorism and aiding Mideast peace efforts. After meetings with Israeli officials Thursday, Putin is slated to visit the West Bank city of Ramallah for talks with Palestinian leaders on Friday before returning home.

But with Russia rattling Israel by providing Syria with anti-aircraft missiles, it's a delicate balancing act for Putin, who has also moved to revive close Soviet-era ties with Israel's Arab neighbors. Officials have been hammering away at each other for months, with the Israelis saying they don't accept Russian assurances the missiles are not a threat.