Ukraine's Ambassador to Israel Yevgen Korniychuk said this week that growing ties between Russia and Iran will bring Israel and Ukraine closer together.
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"It's a very significant factor that pushes Israel to help Ukraine in a more visible and effective way," he told Israel Hayom.
Since the invasion on Feb. 24, Israel has provided a great deal of humanitarian aid to Ukraine and was in fact the first country to open a field hospital within the war-stricken country's territory. Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett even tried to mediate between Kyiv and Moscow, albeit without success, and then-Foreign Minister Yair Lapid condemned Russia after mass graves were discovered in Ukrainian towns liberated from Russian forces.
On the other hand, Israel turned down Ukraine's request for military aid, including the kind used solely for the protection of civilians, among other things, out of fear it would limit the IDF's freedom of action in Syria, where Russia has a strong military position.
'The time for mediation is gone' #Ukraine's ambassador to Israel Yevgen Korniychuk @UKRinIsrael discusses the recent phone conversation between President #Zelensky - Prime Minister-designate #Netanyahu
Catch the full interview at 8pm Israel time on #TheRundown with @calev_i24 pic.twitter.com/oa3iOncvOn
— i24NEWS English (@i24NEWS_EN) November 17, 2022
In a recent interview, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he was "shocked" by the lack of military aid from Israel, saying it "has not provided us with anything. Nothing. Zero."
As mentioned above, Korniychuk believes the growing Iran-Russia ties will be a turning point in Israel's approach to the Ukraine war.
"The difference between Israel's position and all western democratic countries is that Israel is the only one that does not openly provide military aid to Ukraine," he said. "I don't want to say things that are not usually talked about, although the president's words mean a lot. But publicly, Israel does not do this. For Israel to start supplying defense equipment to Ukraine openly, the strategic concept needs to be changed, dating back to the days before [former Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu, in which Russia is seen as a friend and partner. This concept is difficult to dismantle, at least as long as there is no stable government."
Q: I couldn't help but notice you saying that Israel does not provide military aid to Ukraine "openly." Does that mean it does so in secret?
"I can neither confirm nor deny this."
Q: There have been rumors of such aid being provided behind the scenes.
"Russia's rapprochement with Iran is a very significant factor that can change the current situation," Korniychuk continued. "We were warned a long time ago that Iran has drones that aren't bad, even before the signing of contracts [with Iran], and said that they are dangerous and carry significant payloads. This is a threat to Israel, and Israel is very interested in the experience gained in Ukraine in dealing with drones.
"Therefore, in my opinion, the situation will change when a new government is formed, either because the support of the majority of Israeli society in Ukraine will be expressed, or because of the strengthening of relations between Russia and Iran, which is critical for Israel. We are grateful for the bandages and tourniquets that Israel provided, but we will not win the war with bandages."
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