Israeli Foreign Minister plans to visit Ukraine
Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen decided to accept the invitation and visit Kyiv after a conversation with Dmytro Kuleba, his Ukrainian counterpart.
Source: The Times of Israel, referring to officials of Israel and Ukraine; Dmytro Kuleba, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, on Twitter
Details: Cohen will be the highest-ranking Israeli official to visit Ukraine since the war began 11 months ago.
During their phone conversation, he promised Kuleba that he would finally open the Israeli Embassy in Kyiv within 60 days.
It is also reported that due to Russia's use of Iranian-made weapons, Cohen called on Ukraine to join the fight against Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and to call on Europe to declare this armed force a terrorist organisation.
Kuleba reported on Twitter that during the first conversation with Cohen, they "discussed cooperation within international organisations and ways to counter shared security threats".
Quote from Kuleba: "Minister Cohen condemned Russian aggression against Ukraine, affirmed Israel's plans to step up humanitarian aid and assistance in other spheres."
Earlier: In early 2023, Cohen said Israel would start "talking less publicly" about the Russia-Ukraine war.
After his appointment, Cohen had a conversation with Sergei Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister. This was the first conversation between the foreign ministers since the beginning of the war against Ukraine. Cohen's predecessor did not communicate with Lavrov after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Cohen refused to comment on the provision of defence weapons to Ukraine and said that Ukraine would continue to receive "significant humanitarian aid".
Background:
- The American news agency Axios, referring to the words of unnamed Ukrainian and Israeli officials, reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy allegedly negotiated a change in Ukraine's position at the UN regarding the resolution on the Palestinian territories in exchange for air defence.
- According to an Israeli source, Netanyahu asked Ukraine to vote against the UN resolution, or at least abstain from voting.
- In response to this request, Zelenskyy allegedly said that in exchange for such a vote from Ukraine, he would like to hear how the new Israeli government plans to change its position on aid to Ukraine, in particular, whether it is possible to count on means of protection against ballistic missiles and Iranian drones. According to the Ukrainian source, Netanyahu did not make any promises but noted that he is ready to discuss Zelenskyy's request in the future. Zelenskyy was not satisfied with such an answer.
- As a result, Ukraine chose a neutral option and decided not to participate in the vote at the General Assembly in order, as the Ukrainian interlocutor Axios reported, "to give a chance to the relationship with Netanyahu".
- An Israeli source says that Netanyahu was disappointed that instead of abstaining, Kyiv decided not to attend the vote.
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