Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, who negotiated peace between Russia and Ukraine at the beginning of the war, said he promised Russian President Vladimir Putin in March not to kill his Ukrainian counterpart, the Associated Press reports, The Guardian writes.

Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett was one of the few Western leaders to meet with wartime President Vladimir Putin in Moscow last March, shortly after the invasion began.

In a five-hour interview, Bennett revealed the behind-the-scenes details of diplomacy and described efforts aimed at ending the conflict as quickly as possible.

Bennett claims he asked Putin if he intended to kill Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

“I asked him: what is going on with this? Are you planning to kill Zelensky?”

Putin allegedly replied: “I will not kill Zelensky.” Then the former Prime Minister of Israel told him: “I must understand that you give me your word that you will not kill Zelensky.”

The head of the Kremlin repeated: “I will not kill Zelenskyi.”

Bennett also said he then called the leader in Kyiv to inform him of Putin’s promise.

Bennett said that during his mediation, Putin reneged on a promise to continue Ukraine’s disarmament, and Zelenskyi promised not to join NATO. (photo source Dreamstime.com)

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