Heads of the Israel-Ukraine Parliamentary Friendship Association, Chairman of the State Camp faction, MK Zeev Elkin and Chairman of the Foreign and Security Committee, MK Yuli Edelstein met with the president of Ukraine, Vladimir Zelensky, for a meeting that lasted about an hour. The meeting took place in his office in Kyiv. During the meeting we discussed the need to increase Israeli aid to Ukraine, including in the field of defense against Iranian missiles and drones. Also in the conversation they emphasized Israeli-Ukrainian cooperation against Iran in the international arena.
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At the end of the meeting, Knesset members Edelstein and Elkin expressed their position regarding the need to change Israeli policy and increase aid to Ukraine and told the president that “Russia continues to shell Ukrainian cities, including Kharikiv, where one of us was born and grew up. The missile fire and strikes by Iranian drones against civilian infrastructure continue. Those guilty of war crimes against humanity must bear responsibility. The entire Western world, led by the US and Europe, supported and continues to support Ukraine’s struggle for its freedom and independence.”
They also said that “We must stop being afraid, and take an active, unequivocal position in accordance with the basic moral values, as is expected of every Western country. We must assist Ukraine in all areas where Israeli technologies, including military ones, can help protect the civilian population, its freedom and independence. There are moments in history the world in which you cannot sit on two chairs. We hope that the foreign minister’s visit last week was only the first swallow in the process. As parliamentarians, we will do everything we can to achieve a significant expansion of Israeli support to Ukraine in all fields.”
Yuli Edelstein, Zev Elkin, Volodymyr Zelensky (Photo: None)
Later, they stated that they support “practical cooperation between Israel and Ukraine in the field of air defense and anti-missile defense and in other defensive fields. Symbolically, when the whole civilized world supports Ukraine, there is one country that helps the Russian army in terrorizing the civilian population of Ukrainian cities, and that is Iran.” The same Iran that openly declares its desire to destroy the State of Israel, sponsors terrorism against Israel and its citizens and aspires to possess a nuclear bomb.”
In response, a senior Ukrainian official said: “Your position is exactly what Ukraine expects from Israel. President Zelensky’s office knew in advance that this was the spirit of what they were going to say publicly.”