Israel’s Bennett proposes mediation between Russia, Ukraine

By Zain Khalil

JERUSALEM (AA) – Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said Sunday he proposed to Russian President Vladimir Putin to mediate between his country and Ukraine.

Bennett made a phone call with Putin on Sunday to discuss the situation between Russia and Ukraine, his office said in a statement, without giving further details.

The Israeli KAN news channel said Bennett proposed during the phone call to mediate between Moscow and Kyiv.

The Russian president told Bennett that Moscow is ready to conduct talks with Ukraine in Belarus, but Kyiv was not willing to do so, the broadcaster said.

On Sunday, a Russian delegation arrived in Belarus to meet with a Ukrainian delegation.

Putin announced a “special military operation” in Ukraine on Thursday, days after recognizing two separatist-held enclaves in eastern Ukraine.

He claimed that Moscow had no plan to occupy its neighbor, but wanted to “demilitarize” and “denazify” Ukraine.

While Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenkskyy pledged to defend the country, the West announced sanctions against Moscow, including measures targeting Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar