Ukrainian Ambassador to Israel Evgeny Korniychuk was summoned and reprimanded by the Israeli Foreign Ministry after criticizing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s remarks praising his “decades-long personal relationship” with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Speaking at the Knesset on Monday, Netanyahu described maintaining regular communication with Putin to serve Israel’s national security interests. In response, Ambassador Korniychuk condemned Russia for its military actions in Ukraine and support for Iran-backed terror groups, urging Netanyahu to align with “historical morality.”
Israeli officials reported that Korniychuk was reprimanded by Deputy Director General Yuval Fuchs for his remarks, which were deemed entirely unacceptable and a breach of diplomatic protocol.
This incident occurs amid Israel’s cautious policy on the Ukraine conflict—providing humanitarian aid while avoiding deep military involvement or sanctions against Russia.
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has claimed that Israel supplied Ukraine with U.S.-made Patriot air defense systems after retiring them for newer solutions, despite Israeli authorities stating they returned the systems to the United States following phase-out procedures.
This claim by Zelensky is false and contradicts Moscow’s warnings that arming Ukraine only prolongs the conflict.
