Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a post on X/Twitter on Tuesday that he had a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss bilateral matters. However, he did not provide more details on specifics.
I spoke with the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu @netanyahu. I told him about my participation in the events marking the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau and conveyed my condolences to the Prime Minister and the people of Israel regarding the… pic.twitter.com/uSZ2zY8YG9
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) January 28, 2025
Zelensky did say that he told Netanyahu that he "welcomed the beginning of the release of hostages" and stressed to the prime minister the "importance of people returning home and reuniting with their families." He also said he "expressed hope" for the "swift" release of all hostages remaining in Gaza.
The Ukrainian president also told Netanyahu about his participation in events that commemorated the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. He said he conveyed his "condolences to the prime minister and the people of Israel regarding the tragedy of the Holocaust."
"We also discussed maintaining close contact with partners, particularly the United States and President Trump," he added at the end of the post.
Weapons transferring
Last Tuesday, the Ukrainian Embassy said in a statement to Israel that Ukraine hopes that a Knesset bill allowing Israel to transfer Russian-made weapons seized in Lebanon to Ukraine will pass.
Ukrainian Ambassador to Israel Yevgen Korniychuk hosted Israel's Deputy Foreign Minister, Sharren Haskel, during which Korniychuk thanked Haskel for proposing the bill and "expressed hope for a positive resolution," according to the statement.
Jerusalem has largely held a neutral stance toward the Russia-Ukraine war; however, if this bill were to pass, it would mark a sharp change in Israeli policy and likely a decline in relations between Russia and Israel.
Korniychuk and Haskel also discussed "common challenges," including military cooperation between Iran and Russia, which "poses a threat to the national security of both Ukraine and Israel," the statement said. Korniychuk stressed that counteracting this threat is a "shared interest for both nations."