News of the World

[kyonides]

Israel’s Bennett Speaks With Putin, Zelensky Separately
in Effort to Mediate Ukraine Crisis

Conversations with Russian leader in Moscow touch on safety of Ukraine’s Jewish population and international talks over Iran’s nuclear program

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett held talks with President Vladimir Putin Saturday in the Kremlin over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and then spoke with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky, an attempt to mediate a conflict that has caused growing civilian casualties and refugees.

Following the talks on Saturday evening, Mr. Bennett spoke again to both Mr. Putin and Mr. Zelensky on Sunday, though the substance of the calls was unclear.
...
Mr. Bennett’s meeting with Mr. Putin took place “with the blessing of the U.S. administration,” said Mr. Bennett’s office, which also noted that it coordinated with Germany and France. After seeing Mr. Putin, Mr. Bennett left Moscow for Berlin, where he was to meet with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, the prime minister’s office said. Mr. Bennett was joined by Housing Minister Zeev Elkin, who was born in the now Ukrainian city of Kharkiv and assisted with the translation.

It's curious to see that Israel needed the blessing of Biden there.

The nearly three-hour conversation with Mr. Putin on Saturday touched on the safety of Ukraine’s Jewish population and international talks over Iran’s nuclear program, Mr. Bennett’s office said. On Saturday, new demands from Russia—a party to the nuclear talks—threatened to derail efforts to restore the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, a pact that Israel opposes.

Mr. Bennett flew to Moscow as Russian troops continued to meet fierce resistance from Ukrainian forces, and an agreement to evacuate civilians from two besieged cities fell apart.
...
The meeting comes about a week after Mr. Bennett, in a call with Mr. Putin, offered to mediate between Russia and Ukraine. Mr. Putin said during that call that he was “ready for negotiation,” a senior Israeli official said.

Throughout the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Israel has found itself caught between powerful opposing forces. Israel’s most important ally, the U.S., and pro-Western Ukraine, with a large Jewish population, have pushed Israel to side strongly with the Ukrainians. At the same time, Mr. Bennett’s government has worried that taking sides would jeopardize its relationship with Russia, which allows Israel the freedom to bomb Iranian positions in Syria.

Mr. Bennett has faced pressure domestically to boost support to Ukraine. Israel has so far refused a Ukrainian request for weapons and other military equipment, such as helmets and protective vests, Ukraine’s ambassador, Yevgen Korniychuk, said earlier last week. But Israel has condemned Russia’s invasion and voted for a United Nations resolution demanding an end to the offensive.

Israel has worked to maintain good relations with the Kremlin and has been keen not to anger Moscow during the conflict. Russia’s launch of a military intervention in Syria in 2015 turned it into an important player in the Middle East. Israel sees Russia’s presence there as a moderating influence among Islamist militant organizations such as Hezbollah and Iran’s increasingly aggressive stance.

Russia has played a leading role in negotiating the restoration of the deal between the U.S. and Iran. However on Saturday, Mr. Lavrov threw a new hurdle in the way of a deal, demanding guarantees from Washington that powerful Western sanctions against Russia over its Ukraine attack won’t disrupt trade between Russia and Iran under a restored agreement.