MOSCOW – Russia on Wednesday warned Israel against arms sales to Ukraine after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was considering military aid to Kyiv and was ready to mediate in the conflict.
“We say that all countries that supply arms [to Ukraine] should understand that we will take these into account [weapons] to be legitimate targets for Russian forces,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters.
The Kremlin has warned of an escalation in the conflict as Ukraine’s western partners promise to ship more arms to Kyiv.
“Any attempt – carried out or even not realized but announced to deliver additional, new or different weapons – will lead to an escalation of this crisis. And everyone should be aware of that,” Zakharova said.
In an interview with CNN that aired on Tuesday, Netanyahu said he was “looking into” providing “other types of assistance” besides humanitarian aid to Kyiv, amid concerns about Israel’s “complex relationship” with Russia and its need to ” freedom of action”. in Syria in an effort to “keep Iran in check”.
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Washington and Berlin said this month they would supply Kyiv with modern tanks, but Ukraine is also asking its supporters for fighter jets and long-range artillery.
The warning from Moscow also comes after reports in recent weeks that Israel has refused US requests to hand over ten Hawk anti-aircraft batteries and hundreds of interceptor missiles for delivery to Ukraine.
A Leopard 2 tank is seen in action during a visit by German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius to the Bundeswehr Panzer Battalion 203 at the Field Marshal Rommel barracks in Augustdorf, Germany, February 1, 2023. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
However, the New York Times reported last month that the US military is quietly shipping hundreds of thousands of artillery shells to Ukraine from a huge stockpile it stores in Israel.
Israel has refused to supply arms to Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian invasion. A key reason for Israel’s hesitation appears to be its strategic need to maintain freedom of operation in Syria, where Russian forces largely control the airspace.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks to CNN in an interview aired on January 31, 2023. (Screenshot/CNN, used under Section 27a of the Copyright Act)
The affair has strained relations between Jerusalem and Kyiv, as Ukrainians have constantly pressed Israel for more defense aid. Ukraine’s ambassador earlier this month called on Israel to provide its country with anti-missile systems in the face of continued deadly Russian attacks.
Israel has been providing humanitarian aid to Ukraine, and Netanyahu’s new government has said it intends to keep those supplies flowing.
This week Israel sent three armored ambulances to Ukraine.
Netanyahu told CNN’s Jake Tapper that he had previously been asked to mediate in the Russia-Ukraine conflict and that he would “certainly consider” it if asked again, but only if the US agreed would.
“When I’m asked by both sides, and frankly when I’m asked by the United States — because I think you know you can’t have too many cooks in the kitchen … and you know we have our own backyards to deal with,” Netanyahu said.
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