“Of course I am looking into the issue,” Mr. Netanyahu said during an interview
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country was considering providing military aid to Kyiv, although he also said he would be willing to mediate between Ukraine and Russia if asked.
“Of course I am looking into the issue,” Mr. Netanyahu said during an interview with the American television network CNN, when asked if Israel would provide assistance to the Ukrainian military, such as in particular the Iron Dome air defense system.
Mr Netanyahu has so far avoided taking a clear stand in favor of Ukraine, as he does not want to disrupt Israel’s relations with Russia, which controls the airspace of neighboring Syria and is seen as often turning a blind eye to Israeli military operations. against Iranian forces and pro-Iranian organizations.
He also confirmed that the US was transporting artillery ammunition stored in Israel to Ukraine, while hinting that the Israeli military was conducting operations to prevent the production of weapons destined for Russia in Iran.
“The US came and took a huge part of the ammunition from Israel to take to Ukraine. Israel is also acting, by means that I will not detail here, against the production of weapons in Iran that would be used against Ukraine,” the Israeli prime minister said.
Ukrainian and Western officials accuse Tehran of supplying Russia with kamikaze UAVs used in Ukraine, which the Islamic Republic denies.
Benjamin Netanyahu also recounted in his interview that he was asked to act as a mediator after Russia invaded Ukraine last year, but declined because he was in the opposition at the time.
He assured that he would be willing to mediate if the opposing parties and the US asked him to do so. He added, however, that from his experience he knows that in order for the venture to be successful, it will be necessary to take the initiative “at the right time” and “under the right circumstances”.
The remarks come after a visit to the Middle East by US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, who called for a de-escalation of tensions between Israel and the Palestinians and urged Israel to offer support to Ukraine.
Mr Netanyahu’s predecessor, Naftali Bennett, had made a surprise visit to Moscow in March 2022, where he offered to mediate during his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He carried messages from Mr. Putin to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, but was unable to advance the organization of direct negotiations to end the armed conflict.
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