TEL AVIV – Israeli Prime Minister Naphtali Bennett held talks with President Vladimir Putin on Saturday in the Kremlin about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and then spoke with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky, an attempt to mediate the conflict that has led to increased casualties and refugees.
Prior to the visit of Mr. Bennett, President Biden’s diplomacy and European leaders have failed to stop Mr. Putin to invade Ukraine or withdraw his tanks. When facing severe Western sanctions, Mr. Putin has found himself isolated from the rest of the world, with few means of negotiation and his country’s economy offline in international trade.
Mr. Bennett’s meeting with Mr. Putin happened “with the blessing of US administration,” said Mr Bennett’s office, which also noted that it was working with Germany and France. After seeing Mr. Putin, Mr. Bennett left Moscow for Berlin, where he met 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 helped with the translation.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE
The conversation lasted about three hours with Mr. Putin hinted at the security of Ukrainian Jews and international talks on Iran’s nuclear program, Mr Bennett’s office said. On Saturday, new demands from Russia – part of a nuclear deal – threatened to thwart efforts to reinstate Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal, a deal Israel has opposed.
Sabbath flight to Moscow
Mr. Bennett flew to Moscow as Russian troops continued to crack down on Ukrainian forces, and an agreement to evacuate residents of the two besieged cities was dissolved. Russia’s attack on its small neighbor last week caused casualties and sparked mass protests in Europe since World War II as Ukrainians fled the bloodshed.
The meeting comes a week after Mr. Bennett, on the phone with Mr. Putin, who has promised mediation between Russia and Ukraine. Mr Putin said during the call that he was “ready to negotiate,” a senior Israeli official said.
Throughout the war between Russia and Ukraine, Israel has found itself trapped between powerful opposition forces. Israel’s most important ally, the U.S., and pro-Western Ukraine, which has a large Jewish population, have pushed Israel to form a strong alliance with the Ukrainians. At the same time, Mr Bennett’s government is concerned that taking sides will jeopardize its relationship with Russia, which gives Israel the freedom to blow Iranian positions in Syria.
Mr. Bennett is under pressure at home to bolster Ukraine’s support. Israel has so far rejected Ukraine’s request for weapons and other military equipment, such as helmets and protective vests, Ukrainian ambassador Yevgen Korniychuk said earlier this week. But Israel condemned Russia’s invasion and voted against a UN resolution calling for an end to the genocide.
Mr. Bennett, an observant Jew, traveled to Moscow on the Sabbath, emphasizing the urgency of his task.
Israel has worked to maintain good relations with the Kremlin and has been determined not to anger Moscow during the conflict. The introduction of Russia’s military intervention in Syria in 2015 turned it into a key player in the Middle East. Israel sees Russia’s presence as a moderate influence between Islamic terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah and Iran’s aggressive state.
The purpose of Mr. Putin has been accused of attacking and beheading the Ukrainian government by polluting the country, despite Mr Zelensky’s Jewish background. Ever since Russia hit the television tower earlier this week in the Kyiv region of Babyn Yar, the site of the worst genocide during the Holocaust, the condemnation of Jews around the world by Russian attacks has grown.
Negotiations since December
The efforts of Mr. Bennett has been following a series of talks and exchanges between Washington, Moscow and the European capital since mid-December, in which Russia demanded written assurances that NATO would not extend eastward and that NATO would withdraw troops and arrows from countries to join the alliance after graduating. -NATO. 1997.
As Russia formed nearly 200,000 troops on the Ukrainian border, Mr. Scholz of Germany and French President Emmanuel Macron were among the leading Europeans to visit Moscow in recent weeks, seeking to persuade Mr. it is dealt with through negotiations.
Mr. Scholz sought to circumvent some kind of action based on the premise that Ukraine is unlikely to be a member of NATO for many years. Mr. Macron suggested that some kind of neutrality had emerged in Ukraine in the negotiations.
In the end, the Kremlin did not waver in its earlier demands and Mr. Putin continued his attack even though negotiations continued with Europeans and days before Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met with his French and US counterparts in Europe.
“Yes, there was repetition. Yes, there was a deliberate choice to start a war while we were still negotiating peace,” Mr Macron said in late February after a meeting of EU leaders on the Ukraine crisis.
Both Mr. Macron and Scholz spoke to Mr. Putin in recent days, urging him to stop the violence.
To Mr. Bennett stakes are also high. Aside from Israel’s close ties with Russia and Ukraine and its efforts not to irritate Washington by staying on the phone over the issue, Mr Bennett’s visit comes at a critical time in Vienna’s negotiations on a nuclear deal.
Israel has long opposed the 2015 agreement and pressured its partners to ensure that if the agreement is reinstated, pressure is placed on Iran to fully cooperate with Iran’s international inspectors and to ensure that Iran does not cheat.
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.