Israeli envoy to Kyiv explains why his country cannot provide weapons to Ukraine
Michael Brodsky and Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Photo:Michael Brodsky/ Twitter)
Israeli leaders have declined to provide weapons or defense systems to Ukraine and refused to join Western economic sanctions for fear of jeopardizing its security relationship with Russia, Michael Brodsky, the Israeli ambassador to Kyiv, said in an interview with U.S. newspaper The Washington Post on Dec. 18.
He acknowledged he had heard the frustration of some Ukrainian Jews but stressed Israel’s security ties to Russia create limits that cannot be overcome.
According to Brodsky, most Ukrainian Jews understand Israel is in a “tough position.”
“No government in Israel is going to jeopardize this interest for anybody else, including the Ukrainians,” he said.
The ambassador added that unlike the United States and Europe, Israel is not part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
“Our situation is much more fragile,” he said.
The Israeli Times of Israel online newspaper reported on Dec. 4 that Russia had reportedly requested that Israel not intervene or impede its efforts to transfer military equipment from Syria to Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Oct. 17 said that Israel had not supplied any weapons to Ukraine since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
On Oct. 18, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that Ukraine would send an official note to the government of Israel with a request to provide Ukraine with air defense systems.
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