- December 10, 2025
- 9:29 pm
- Israel
* in the photo – Putin in the lens of a photojournalist from the Indian news agency Press Trust of India.
On the evening of December 10, information appeared that the Ambassador of Ukraine to Israel, Yevgen Korniychuk, was summoned for a conversation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs after criticism he expressed in an interview with Ynet regarding statements by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about his negotiations with Russian President Putin. According to a statement from the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Deputy Director General for Eurasian Affairs Yuval Fuchs “explained to the Ukrainian ambassador that his statements are completely unacceptable and go beyond diplomatic protocol.”
The Ukrainian Ambassador to Israel, Yevgen Korniychuk, criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after he emphasized his “long-standing personal relationships” with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The diplomat stated this in an interview with Ynet on December 9, 2025.
Ambassador: Netanyahu’s comments caused surprise
The head of the Ukrainian diplomatic mission reminded that, according to him, Russia not only conducts a brutal war against Ukraine but also supports terrorist organizations, including Hamas and Hezbollah.
What Netanyahu said in the Knesset
In an emotional speech at the Knesset podium on Monday, Benjamin Netanyahu stated:
“We maintain constant contacts with another world power — Russia. I regularly speak with President Putin, and these long-standing personal relationships help protect Israel’s vital interests, including efforts to prevent interference on our northern border.”
It was these words that the Ukrainian ambassador reacted to.
Yevgen Korniychuk’s response: war, October 7, and the “right side of history”
In a conversation with Ynet, Korniychuk emphasized that he considers it important to remind about Moscow’s actions:
“I am not here to advise your prime minister on what to say, but I want to remind you that Russia, this so-called ‘great power,’ has been waging a brutal war against Ukraine for almost four years,” said Korniychuk. —
“They kill women and children, massacre civilians, and create severe humanitarian and legal problems. I was surprised by Netanyahu’s remarks, especially considering what Israel went through on October 7. One must stand on the right, moral side of history.”
Russian weapons with Hezbollah and support for terrorists
According to the ambassador, there is direct evidence of the presence of Russian weapons with Israel’s enemies:
“Your military showed me weapons seized from Hezbollah, which were clearly manufactured in Russia,” added the ambassador. —
“If relations with Russia are so good, why does Russian weaponry end up with Hezbollah? Open sources report that Russian instructors train both Hezbollah and Hamas, and their militants often travel to Moscow for support.”
“Israel must firmly stand with the democratic world”
Korniychuk specifically linked his criticism to the moral plane and the experience of October 7:
“From a moral standpoint,” continued Korniychuk, “especially after the horrors of October 7, which I know deeply affected the Israeli people, whom I admire, Israel must firmly stand with the democratic world against aggressors and hypocrisy. Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East, and if it is a true democracy, it must remain united with other democratic nations.”
He also reminded that similar statements regarding Putin have been made before:
“This is not the first time Netanyahu praises Putin, but I am talking about the moral consequences,” he emphasized. — “Israelis should not forget October 7 — who supported Hamas and Hezbollah, and who did not. This is important not only for us but also for you.”
Economic cooperation and “Israel of Central Europe”
The Ynet article also mentions a recent visit by a Ukrainian government delegation. Last week, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Taras Kachka arrived in Israel at the head of a large delegation to participate in the 13th meeting of the joint economic committee of the two governments.
On the Israeli side, the meeting was led by Minister Zeev Elkin, and the Ukrainian delegation included ten deputy ministers and other high-ranking officials.
The parties discussed cooperation in trade, agriculture, energy, digital technologies, ecology, and healthcare with a special focus on resilience and recovery — both physical infrastructure and rehabilitation. Ukraine signed a cooperation agreement with the Israeli agency “Tkuma,” which is responsible for the restoration of northern and southern communities after the war, as well as another agreement on veteran assistance with the Rehabilitation Department of the Ministry of Defense.
“Ukraine must become the ‘Israel’ of Central Europe”
In the interview, Korniychuk made a direct comparison:
“After the war, Ukraine must become the ‘Israel’ of Central Europe, as we face similar threats,” said the ambassador. — “You have been dealing with wounded soldiers for decades. For us, this is a new reality, and we want to learn from your experience.”
Answering a question about military assistance, he noted:
“After October 7, we did not expect much in terms of arms supplies, but we appreciate the ongoing dialogue and intelligence exchange. We hope to deploy the Israeli ‘Red Alert’ missile warning system in Ukraine by the end of next year. Israeli companies will be very welcome participants in Ukraine’s recovery efforts.”
Context for NAnews readers
Thus, the Ynet article records a harsh but purely diplomatic criticism by the Ukrainian ambassador of the public praise for Putin by Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as a clear call for Israel to “stand with the democratic world” and consider the experience of October 7 when assessing ties with Moscow. For Israeli and Ukrainian audiences, it is important that these statements were made precisely against the backdrop of deepening economic and technological cooperation between the two countries — and it is in this form that this balance between security, values, and pragmatism is reflected by “NAnews — Israel News | Nikk.Agency”.
* in the photo – Putin in the lens of a photojournalist from the Indian news agency Press Trust of India.
