🌍 This article is also available in UK
- August 2, 2024
- 1:45 am
- Israel
“Russia's rapprochement with Iran does not push the Israeli government to get closer to Ukraine.”
“The Israeli leadership prefers not to discuss Russia, although military actions in Ukraine and Israel are coordinated from the same centers.”
“There are opportunities for cooperation between Ukraine and Israel, especially in the area of countering drones and missiles, and that “this interaction is very limited.”
“I think it would be worthwhile to strengthen it. And I am proud that we have something to offer our Israeli colleagues, including our experience and our technologies.”
The Ukrainian Ambassador to Israel gave a long interview to the Israeli portal “Details” on July 31, 2024.
Here it is in full (ukr). Let us present the main points.
In September, Ukraine will hold state events to commemorate the tragedy committed by the Nazis and their collaborators at Babi Yar and to honor the victims of the Holocaust. However, as usual, Israel’s top leadership will likely ignore these ceremonies, as it distances itself from Ukraine’s problems and its president from 2022.
Ukrainian Ambassador to Israel Yevhen Korniychuk notes: “In two and a half years of war, I managed to get condemnation of Russia’s war against Ukraine only from Lapid, when he was Foreign Minister. That’s it. Period.” Korniychuk recalls that when Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen was in Kyiv, a trip to Bucha and Borodyanka was organized for him, where he expressed sympathy, but spoke of what was happening as a natural disaster. Israeli journalists questioned him about why he never mentioned the Russian Federation.
Despite this, the Ukrainians have not been able to break through the wall of alienation. However, the ace up their sleeve is Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, when Hasidic pilgrims flock to Uman. During this period, Netanyahu is forced to pay attention to Ukraine in the interests of his coalition partners.
Korniychuk also emphasizes: “We have vast experience in producing and countering drones. We are now, without exaggeration, one step ahead of Israel in this area.” Ukrainian psychologists also shared their experience with Israeli colleagues after the events of October 7.
Another successful example of cooperation, Korniychuk cites, is the joint work of lobbyists for Ukraine and Israel in the US Congress when considering a law on aid to these countries.
Evgeniy Korniychuk noted that Ukraine is actively cooperating with the Israeli Ministry of Health.
“And now we are working to accept the offer of the Israeli side and bring Ukrainian children with cancer from the shelled hospitals for treatment: “Okhmatdet” in Kyiv and, possibly, from Kharkov and Dnipro. This is important, this is an absolutely humanitarian mission of good. Our capacities are not coping, our hospitals are bombed every day. This is the project we are working on now.”
Ukraine is currently working on a project to treat Ukrainian children with cancer in Israeli hospitals. Korniychuk expressed gratitude to the Israeli Ministry of Health for the assistance, which saw 14 Ukrainian servicemen receive prostheses. He stressed that despite the creation of large prosthesis centers in Ukraine, the need for treatment significantly exceeds the available capacity. In his last conversation with the Israeli Ministry of Health, he discussed both the treatment of children with cancer and prosthetics, adding: “As soon as the fighting in Israel ceases, we will return to this issue and will most likely increase the quota.”
In conclusion, Yevgeny Korniychuk expressed gratitude to the citizens of Israel for their understanding and support, noting that “here the position of the highest Israeli leadership significantly diverges from the position of ordinary citizens.”
Yevgeny Korniychuk said that his entry ban to Russia was introduced back in 2007 for his proposal to declare Putin “persona non grata.” According to him, even then, long before the annexation of Crimea and the invasion of Donbass, it was clear where everything was heading.
Korniychuk, speaking about his appointment to Israel in 2020, noted that he did not expect how strong Putin's influence on Israel would be. He said: “In my opinion, there are two friendly countries, Ukraine and Israel, and the influence of third forces, unfriendly ones, such as the Russian Federation, should be much smaller.”
Since the start of Russian aggression in 2022, according to Korniychuk, the Israeli security forces and government believed that Ukraine would not last long, so they “practically said goodbye” to it, and in the first weeks of the war, Ukraine had no contacts with the top political leadership of Israel. Korniychuk confirmed that in the first two or three weeks, Ukraine had no contacts at all with the Israeli leadership, which took an observer position.
However, Israeli citizens have provided significant assistance to Ukraine. Korniychuk said that Israeli citizens, public organizations and companies collected up to 100,000 tons of humanitarian aid in the first three months of the war.
Korniychuk also thanked the Israeli government for sending medical supplies and a field hospital that was set up for two months. He noted that most of the costs for the field hospital were paid for by private Israeli donors.
In conclusion, Korniychuk expressed gratitude for all the assistance provided, emphasizing that it was provided to 7,500 Ukrainians, many of whom were Jews who had evacuated from Ukraine.
Yevgeny Korniychuk spoke about Ukraine's requests to Israel and the reactions to them. Ukraine asked Israel for protective equipment, such as helmets and bulletproof vests. Korniychuk noted that the first helmets and bulletproof vests arrived only at the end of the summer, and these were bulletproof vests for firefighters and rescuers. At a press conference, he put on a helmet in front of journalists and asked: “How can this kill?!”
Ukraine also asked Israel to provide a loan. Korniychuk mentioned that during the visit of Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen to Kyiv last February, Cohen promised such a loan. However, upon Cohen’s return to Israel, the Ukrainian side received a response that Israel has no practice of providing loans to other countries. Korniychuk noted: “If you do not have such a practice, let me provide you with a draft loan agreement, a standard one that exists between Ukraine and other countries.” However, this initiative remained unanswered.
Korniychuk also spoke about the difficult negotiations over humanitarian aid, noting that Israeli agencies such as MASHAV provided about $18 million in aid in 2022. He stressed that Ukraine was very grateful for this aid, although it sometimes fell short of requests. For example, instead of helmets and body armor, Israel supplied water purifiers, saying they were more needed.
According to Korniychuk, Ukraine seeks to cooperate with Israel on security issues. He noted that Ukraine is a pro-Israeli state and since the beginning of the war there has not been a single anti-Semitic action or pro-Palestinian demonstration. Korniychuk emphasized that Ukrainians understand the pain of the Israelis, as they themselves have faced a brutal attack.
Korniychuk also expressed regret that frequent high-level contacts with Israel are absent, despite positive developments in bilateral relations. He noted that after Prime Minister Netanyahu’s phone call with President Zelensky last September, a Hasidic pilgrimage to Uman was coordinated. Korniychuk added: “I regret that such contacts happen very rarely.”
Source (ukr) — https://ua.detaly.co.il/yevgen-kornijchuk-ukrayina-sogodni-ye-najbilsh-proizrayilskoyu-derzhavoyu-yevropy-interv-yu/
Read us in channels Israel News Nikk.Agency News from Israel V – Telegram— Facebook, — Google News
🌍 This article is also available in UK
