So far, Mr. Bennett has not joined the chorus of international condemnation of the Russian invasion of Ukraine launched on Feb. 24, highlighting the strong ties Israel has with Moscow and Kiev.
Because of this proximity to the two belligerents, Israel offered mediation, a proposal supported by Ukrainian officials.
On Saturday, Mr. Bennett flew to Moscow, where, according to his services, he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin “about three hours.” This is the first visit to Russia by a foreign leader related to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
He then spoke on the phone with Volodymyr Zelensky before traveling to Berlin for a meeting with Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Few details have been leaked about the exact content of the discussions.
Mr. Bennett’s services did not directly mention the Russian invasion, limiting themselves to pointing out that he mentioned “the state of Israelis and Jewish communities after the conflict.”
Coordination of efforts
The Kremlin statement says that M.M. Putin and Bennett discussed “various aspects of the situation in Ukraine as part of Russia’s special military operation to protect Donbass.” Mr. Bennett “consulted with the US, Germany and France” before meeting with the Russian president, and declared his services.
In Paris, a presidential press release claimed that President Emmanuel Macron “spoke with the Prime Minister this morning before leaving for Moscow, guided by the logic of coordinating efforts to achieve a cessation of hostilities.”
“The President told him about his latest conversations with President Putin. They will remain in touch with the same goal, which is to achieve a ceasefire, and this is also in agreement with Chancellor Scholz, ”the text says.
Mr. Bennett is a religious Jew who does not attend to official business on Saturday, the Jewish weekly rest day, except in exceptional circumstances.