Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke by phone on Wednesday, as the latter appealed directly to Israeli public opinion to help his country.
Zelensky tweeted that the two discussed “Russian aggression.”
Bennett’s spokesman says that they spoke “continuing their conversation from last Friday, in which they agreed to keep in contact.”
Two hours later, Bennett called Russian President Vladimir Putin, just as Israel voted in the UN General Assembly to condemn Russia for invading Ukraine.
“Putin told Bennett that the central condition for settling the dispute is to take Russia’s vital security interests into consideration,” the Kremlin stated.
The Prime Minister’s Office confirmed the call took place but did not release any details.
Ukraine has asked Israel to send protective gear and weapons, in addition to the 100 tons of humanitarian aid it sent this week. Ukraine’s Ambassador to Israel Yevgen Korniychuk said that Europe is out of helmets and ceramic vests and that Ukraine specifically requested those from Israel, and asked for Israeli field hospitals to be set up in his country.
The call came soon after Zelensky released a statement in Hebrew calling for Jews of the world to speak out against the attacks on Ukraine.
