Ukraine’s leader asks Bennett to mediate with Russia, host talks in Jerusalem
By Trend
During his phone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Friday morning, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky asked that Jerusalem serve as a mediator with Russia to help resolve the military conflict between the countries, Trend reports citing The Times of Israel.
The request was first reported by Kan news, and then confirmed to The New York Times by Ukraine’s Ambassador to Israel Yevgen Korniychuk and an unnamed Israeli official.
Korniychuk told the Times: “We do believe that Israel is the only democratic state in the world that has great relations with both Ukraine and Russia.” He added that Bennett did not give an immediate answer.
“They didn’t say no,” he said. “They are trying to figure out where they are in this chess play.”
He noted that Ukrainian officials would be more comfortable holding such talks in Jerusalem than in Russia’s ally nation Belarus, where Moscow had proposed to negotiate. Israel, Korniychuk said, is seen as a more neutral party.
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