Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said from Kyiv today that his country is “committed to the sovereignty” of Ukraine on the occasion of the first visit by an Israeli minister to Ukraine since the Russian invasion.

“Israel strongly stands in solidarity with the Ukrainians and remains committed to the sovereignty and integrity of Ukraine,” Cohen said during a press conference with his Ukrainian counterpart, Dmitry Kuleba.

“I am proud to support Ukraine in these difficult times,” he stressed.

I have just finished an important and important meeting with President Zalensky of Ukraine.

I stressed to him that Israel clearly and unequivocally supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.
We also agreed that Iran’s terrorist activities in Ukraine deserve the strongest condemnation and action by the international community. >> pic.twitter.com/VwUm2D20oO

— אלי כהן | Eli Cohen (@elicoh1) February 16, 2023

Cohen, who also met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky today, said Israel would support Kyiv’s UN peace proposal next week, which Russia rejected. He also stated that his country would support and help approve a guarantee of up to $200 million for Israeli healthcare and urban infrastructure projects in Ukraine.

“We will help develop an intelligent early warning system for Ukraine,” Cohen said, without elaborating.

“Israel strongly opposes the killing of innocent civilians,” he added after a trip this morning to the martyred city of Bucha, a symbol of the atrocities that Russia is accused of.

“Tragic images are still imprinted in my heart,” the Israeli minister said of the Butza issue.

“We cannot remain indifferent to these heavy images and tales of cruelty that I have heard here. Israel condemns any deliberate attack on the innocent,” he tweeted.

Israel condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine but limited aid to Kyiv by sending humanitarian supplies and protective gear.

So far, Israel has tried to remain neutral by not responding to repeated requests from Volodymyr Zelensky to send weapons, largely due to the Russian military presence in Syria.

The Israelis want to maintain a line of coordination and communication with Russia, allowing them to strike at suspected Iranian targets in Syria. In addition, there is a large Jewish community in Russia, which Israel takes into account.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba thanked Israel for its support and said he was looking forward to future decisions on “the protection of Ukrainian airspace.”

Earlier today, the Israeli Foreign Minister visited the Babi Yar memorial in Kyiv, the site where the bones of thousands of Jews killed in 1941 when the city was under Nazi occupation are kept.

Source: APE-MPE, AFP, Reuters, dpa.