Prime Minister Naftali Bennett traveled to Moscow on Saturday for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss the war in Ukraine.
The meeting in the Kremlin lasted 3 hours.
“The Prime Minister flew to Moscow early this morning after the leaders’ talk last Wednesday,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said they discussed “the situation around Ukraine,” according to Russian news agencies. The statement from the Prime Minister’s Office does not mention either Ukraine or Russia’s invasion of the country.
An official Israeli diplomatic source said the meeting was agreed with the US, Germany and France, “in constant dialogue with Ukraine.”
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The source said Bennett spoke with Putin about “the plight of Israelis and Jewish communities as a result of the conflict” and ongoing talks in Vienna to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal that Russia signed.
“The prime minister expressed the position of Israel, which opposes a return to the nuclear deal,” the source said.
Earlier Saturday, Russia said it would seek U.S. guarantees before backing a nuclear deal with Iran, citing the current wave of Western sanctions against Russia.
Russia’s representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency Mikhail Ulyanov stands in front of the Grand Hotel Vienna, where closed nuclear talks with Iran are taking place, in Vienna, Austria, Wednesday, June 2, 2021. (AP Photo/Lisa Leutner) )
Bennett’s office said the prime minister was accompanied by Housing Minister Zeev Elkin, who acted as interpreter and adviser. Elkin, a Russian-speaker and native of Ukraine, held a similar position under former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
National Security Adviser Eyal Khulata, senior policy adviser Shimrit Meir and Bennett’s press secretary Matan Sidi also traveled with the prime minister, his office said.
Bennett, Israel’s first Orthodox prime minister, flew to Moscow on Shabbat, which Jewish law prohibits observant Jews from doing, although exceptions are made for medical or life-threatening security situations. Elkin is also religious.
After meeting with Putin, the Prime Minister’s office said Bennett spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. What they talked about is not specified.
Bennett’s office said the prime minister had flown from Moscow to Berlin to meet with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz before returning to Israel.
The prime minister’s spokesman did not say what they would discuss; Germany is a party to the Iran nuclear deal and has also called for an end to the Russian invasion and also intends to provide some military assistance to Ukraine. Scholz was in Israel on Wednesday for a visit.
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett (R) and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz give a joint press conference at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem, March 2, 2022 (Government Press Office)
The trips to Moscow and Berlin come after Bennett had two back-to-back phone calls with Putin and Zelensky in recent days as Moscow pushed for its neighbor to invade.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky gestures while speaking during a press conference in Kyiv on March 3, 2022. (Sergey Supinsky/AFP)
Israel was looking for an elusive middle ground in the conflict: sided with its Western allies while avoiding a split with Moscow. Russian forces control airspace in neighboring Syria, where Israeli jets frequently operate against Iranian-linked militias; Israel sees Iran as an existential threat.
Israel has offered several times to mediate in negotiations to end the invasion. Ukrainian officials also said they support this idea, but the matter did not go further than the initiative.
On Tuesday, Bennett said Israel was seeking to “quietly help” while maintaining its strategic interests. Israel expressed its support to the Ukrainian people and sent a batch of 100 tons of humanitarian aid. Foreign Minister Yair Lapid condemned the invasion as a “violation of international order”.
But Bennett has avoided calling Putin by his first name, refusing Ukrainian requests for military hardware and vowing to pursue a prudent policy.
“From the very beginning, the State of Israel has adopted a measured and responsible approach that allows us not only to protect our interests, but also to be useful, to be a reliable player – one of the few who can communicate directly with both parties – and help as needed,” — Bennett said in a speech on Tuesday.
Russia and Ukraine are expected to hold a third round of ceasefire talks on Monday, Ukrainian negotiator David Arakhamia said in a Facebook post on Saturday, without giving details.
The first two rounds of negotiations to resolve the Russo-Ukrainian war did not lead to a breakthrough, although both sides agreed to meet again.
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