Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen arrived in Kyiv on Thursday, the first such visit since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, as Israel coordinates strikes with Russia on suspected Iranian targets in Syria and has not promised direct arms deliveries to Kyiv, the News reported. ro.

The head of diplomacy in the cabinet led by veteran right-wing prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba, and was then received by President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Israel condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but limited aid to Kyiv to humanitarian aid and defense equipment. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who returned to power in December, has spoken of a policy review on the conflict but has yet to promise any direct arms deliveries to Kiev.

The Israelis want to maintain a coordination hotline with Russia, set up in 2015, regarding their military strikes against suspected Iranian targets in Syria, where Moscow has a garrison. They are also attentive to the good of the large Jewish community in Russia.

Cohen never once mentioned Russia

During a joint meeting with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, Eli Cohen said that Israel will support Ukraine’s peace initiative at the UN next week and help get up to $200 million for health and infrastructure projects. He added that Israel will also help develop an intelligent air raid early warning system.

Without once mentioning Russia, Cohen said that Israel remains “firmly in solidarity with the Ukrainian people” and supports Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

“I am proud to stand with Ukraine in these difficult times,” Cohen said.

Zelensky: “We face similar challenges and threats”

Later, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Israel was received by President Volodymyr Zelenskyi.

“Israel has always been our important partner in the Middle East. This is the first visit by a representative of your country since the beginning of the large-scale invasion. I hope this will contribute to the deepening of our cooperation. We face similar challenges and threats,” Zelenskyi told the Israeli guest, according to the Ukrainian president’s press release.

“The head of state talked about the ten-step peace formula of Ukraine and invited Israel to take part in its implementation. In this context, the parties also discussed support for the Ukrainian initiative within the framework of the UN,” the message reads.

Ukraine is also interested in using Israel’s experience in demining, and President Zelenskyi has invited Israel to participate in rebuilding civilian infrastructure.

Israeli media: Cohen again refused to condemn Russia by name

According to the Times of Israel, during the meeting on Thursday, Volodymyr Zelensky told Eli Cohen that Iran is a “common enemy”. According to Cohen, they talked about deepening cooperation against Iran in international forums. “Iran’s evil face is being revealed in Ukraine,” Cohen told Zelensky because Iran supplied Russia with kamikaze drones to attack Ukraine.

However, during Cohen’s visit, there was plenty of evidence of general differences between the two countries, the quoted source said. Cohen again refused to name Russia, and Kuleba avoided mentioning Iran. In comments to Israeli media, a senior Ukrainian official expressed disappointment with Cohen’s remarks during the visit, noting that the foreign minister avoided mentioning Russia even during a visit to Buchi, where Russian forces killed hundreds of people.

And while Cohen was meeting with his colleague Kuleba, air raid sirens sounded in Kyiv.

Cohen is the highest-ranking Israeli official to visit Ukraine since the Russian invasion nearly a year ago.

During the Naftali Bennett – Yair Lapid governments, Israel tried to maintain a largely neutral position on the war, keeping open channels of communication with both Moscow and Kyiv. Ukrainian officials have not been shy about expressing their frustration, publicly criticizing Israel several times for not taking a firmer stance and refusing to send air defense systems to the country.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who praised the stance of his predecessors as “sensible,” is expected to follow a similar path. But the visit of his foreign minister, a Likud ally, is a sign that he at least wants to be seen as a step in Kyiv’s direction, the Times of Israel comments.

Although now well-received in Ukraine, Cohen angered the country’s leadership in his first week in office last month when he announced that Israel would “talk less” about the war. This comment was seen as a sign that the new government will not publicly condemn Russia, as Lapid did. Cohen also spoke to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov that week before any Ukrainian official called him, the paper said.

With his government criticized by Western allies for recognizing colonies and proposing to dramatically weaken the judiciary, Netanyahu is seeking to warm relations with Europe and the United States. Strengthening support for Ukraine – an issue that dominates discussions between NATO and EU politicians – will certainly bring him some points, the Times of Israel concludes.

There were other signs that Israel is ready to tilt the scales a little in favor of Ukraine. During a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron earlier this month, Netanyahu expressed a desire to send a “military contingent” to Kyiv, according to an official familiar with the discussions. At the same time, he emphasized that he cannot go too far without provoking Russia.

He also reportedly told Macron that it was “too early to think about mediation,” explaining that he would not push for his role as a mediator between Russia and Ukraine until Russia, Ukraine and the United States asked him to do so. The office of the Prime Minister of Israel refused to comment on this information, the Times of Israel notes.

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