Ukraine is pushing the US to pressure Israel into providing weapons to the country, with Ukrainian Ambassador to Israel Yevgen Korniychuck stating on Sunday that "the Americans are the only country that Israel is listening to," according to The Hill.
Korniychuck did welcome Israeli aid "on some technical issues related to defense," pointing to promises by Israeli officials to provide an advanced warning system to help alert civilians of incoming attacks, but pushed that "we are expecting more from Israel of course."
The Ukrainian ambassador told The Hill that he meets with US Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides weekly, calling him his "secret weapon" in getting Israel to provide defense support to Ukraine.
"I’m joking, but I’m calling him [Nides] our secret weapon. This is why we discuss the different measures of support, and again, we need to change this major trend that makes Israel’s position different from the rest of the democratic world, and have more military technical cooperation," said Korniychuck.
Korniychuck also stressed that he was pushing the US to get Israel to more strictly enforce sanctions against Russia.
The Ukrainian ambassador pointed out that Iran, an enemy of Israel, was providing Russia with drones and training to use them in its ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
"Especially now, when Russia started to collaborate with Iran, that triggers, of course, much greater tensions among the Israeli politicians and military experts, and the [people in the] street to help Ukraine, just because, eventually, Iran becomes part of the coalition against Ukraine.”
Ukrainian officials lambast Israel for not providing weapons
Last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky lambasted the Israeli government for not providing Ukraine with air defense systems, claiming that if his country had been able to immediately secure its skies, "Russia would not have had the motive to go to Iran and offer something in exchange for assistance in terror. The decision of your state, your government...[was to] 'not to annoy' the Kremlin, not to help Ukraine for real."
Zelensky additionally claimed that in return for the drones, Russia was providing Iran with assistance for its nuclear program.
Additionally last week, Russian Ambassador to Israel Anatoly Viktorov warned that if Israel provides weapons to Ukraine, Russia will see this as "unfriendly," during an interview with KAN news.
"We have been working together for the past decades to achieve a good relationship, but any step that does not take cooperation into account could destroy the relationship. If Israel supplies Ukraine with weapons it will be considered by the Russian government as an unfriendly act," said Viktorov.
Earlier this month, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry claimed that Iran was providing drones to Russia in order to test them for future use against Israel.