Ukrainian FM, Israeli PM discuss Russia-Iran cooperation in war against Ukraine
Prime Minister of Israel Yair Lapid (Photo:REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun)
Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba discussed cooperation between Iran and Russia in the war against Ukraine in telephone talks on Oct. 20.
Following the talks, Lapid said in a tweet that he had told Kuleba Israel had “deep concern” about the military ties between Iran and Russia.
“Israel stands with the Ukrainian people,” the tweet read in part.
At the same time, according to The Times of Israel online newspaper, Lapid made no mention of Ukraine’s formal request that Israel supply Ukraine with air defense systems in the wake of the barrage of Russian strikes in recent days, which was carried out with Iranian-supplied drones.
Earlier, the Ynet online media outlet reported that Kuleba and Lapid would have a phone talk Oct. 20. It was expected that Kuleba would submit an official request for help to Israel after Russia’s missile strikes at Ukraine with the use of Iranian-made suicide drones.
Kuleba said on Oct. 18 that Ukraine would send an official note to the government of Israel with a request to provide Ukraine with air defense systems.
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.
U.S. newspaper the Washington Post reported on Oct. 16, citing U.S. officials, that Iran had secretly agreed to transfer not only suicide drones to Russia, but also surface-to-surface ballistic missiles for Moscow’s war against Ukraine.
Israel’s Minister of Diaspora Affairs Nachman Shai called on his country to provide Ukraine with military aid against the background of Russian missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian cities.
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google News
