- February 26, 2026
- 3:07 pm
- Israel
The Ambassador of Ukraine to the State of Israel, Yevgen Korniychuk, stated that at this stage of the war, expecting a full-fledged peace agreement is extremely difficult, but reaching an agreement on a ceasefire remains a realistic scenario. The diplomat made this statement in an interview with the international TV channel I24 News, commenting on current negotiation expectations and the position of Ukraine’s key allies.
According to him, Kyiv continues active interaction with the United States and European partners, despite increasing political pressure around the issue of ending the war.
Pressure from the US and Kyiv’s expectations
Ukraine counts on a tougher stance from Washington
Korniychuk noted that the Ukrainian side closely monitors the political signals from the administration of US President Donald Trump. According to him, Kyiv expected a return to the previously announced line — increasing pressure specifically on Russia in case the war continues.
The diplomat emphasized that today the Ukrainian side feels a disbalance in political pressure.
In his assessment, the demands on Ukraine are now noticeably tougher than on Russia, which is perceived in Kyiv as an unfair situation. At the same time, he separately noted: despite the complex diplomatic background, Ukraine continues to work with the American administration and remains interested in achieving a sustainable result.
Korniychuk acknowledged that statements by individual US representatives sometimes create a sense of blurring responsibility for the start of the war, which causes serious concern in Ukrainian society.
Why the focus is on a ceasefire
The ambassador directly stated: he personally does not believe in the quick signing of a full-fledged peace agreement.
However, the possibility of a ceasefire agreement is considered achievable by the diplomat if international partners can agree on basic security conditions.
This approach is increasingly discussed in diplomatic circles as an intermediate option — stopping active hostilities without a final political settlement of the conflict.
In analytical materials published by NAnews — News of Israel | Nikk.Agency, such a scenario is considered the most likely in the near term, given the ongoing military balance and the positions of the parties.
Europe increases support for Ukraine
EU countries perceive the threat beyond the Ukrainian front
Korniychuk separately emphasized the growing role of European partners. According to him, many European countries — especially the Scandinavian countries and Ukraine’s neighbors — increasingly understand that Russian aggression poses a threat not only to Ukraine.
It concerns the security of all of Europe, including the eastern flank of the EU and NATO. That is why support from European countries has become noticeably more active in recent months, both in military and political terms.
The diplomat believes that the European perception of the war has changed: the conflict is no longer seen as a regional crisis but is perceived as a factor of long-term instability on the continent.
Ukraine and Israel: a common security challenge
Speaking about Ukrainian-Israeli relations, the ambassador noted the strengthening of cooperation in the field of security compared to four years ago. According to him, during the war, the level of interaction always seems insufficient, but the dialogue between the countries has noticeably deepened.
Korniychuk also pointed out a common threat factor — Iran, which, according to him, actively interacts with Russia and China. He provided specific figures: over the past four years, Iranian structures have supplied the Russian military-industrial sector with products worth about 4 billion dollars, while Russia, in turn, has transferred missile defense systems to Iran worth about half a billion dollars.
According to the diplomat, it is these technologies — missiles and drones — that are used against both Ukraine and Israel, making cooperation between the two countries in security matters objectively a mutual interest.
Four years of war and the change in Ukraine’s capabilities
Answering a question about the current state of Ukraine after four years of full-scale war, Korniychuk noted a significant strengthening of the country’s capabilities.
According to him, Ukraine has made significant progress both in the military sphere and in its own arms production, including drone systems and missile technologies.
The diplomat reminded that at the beginning of the war, many international partners doubted Ukraine’s ability to withstand, but over the years, the situation has changed.
Today, in his assessment, the country has become stronger and looks to the future much more optimistically than in the first months of the full-scale invasion.
The statements of the Ukrainian ambassador in Israel reflect a key trend of the current stage of the war: diplomatic searches for a formula to stop hostilities are proceeding in parallel with the continuation of military confrontation and the formation of a new regional security system.
