JAKARTA - Former Israeli Prime Minister and opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu, called on President Vladimir Putin to end Russia's war in Ukraine.
During his tenure, Netanyahu was widely thought to have close ties to Putin while expanding Israeli-Russian trade, despite Russia's alliance with rivals Israel, Iran and Syria.
President Putin's decision to fight in Ukraine was "guided by his vision to rebuild great Russian territory," Netanyahu said, quoted by The National News Oct. 24.
He hopes the Russian leader "has a second thought about it (invasion to Ukraine)," he said in an interview with USA Today.
"We all sympathize with Ukraine, that's not even a question, and I'm no different," he said.
Netanyahu has often referred to President Putin as a 'friend'. The two leaders coordinated closely during tensions arising from the Syrian war, when Israel began a bombing campaign against Iranian weapons in Syria, despite the presence of Russian troops, who supported Syrian leader Bashar Al Assad.
During a 2017 summit in Moscow, Netanyahu released a statement at a meeting of the two leaders that "represents true friendship and tightening of relations in the fields of economy, technology, tourism and culture, as well as the life bridge of one million living Russian speakers. in Israel."
Since Netanyahu left office last year, Israel has been trying not to be hostile to Russia in the Ukrainian conflict, with ministers pointing out the importance of continuing military coordination over Syria's skies, as well as Israel's relations with Russia's Jewish community.
Ukraine has been asking for more Israeli aid, especially since Russia began buying and deploying drones from Iran, an important regional enemy of Israel.
Israel has so far rejected calls from the US, Ukraine, and others to supply Ukraine with offensive and defensive weapons, in contrast to supporting Ukraine with humanitarian assistance, helmets and jackets.
Following the disclosure of the Russian public using Iranian drones in Ukraine, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz said Israel was "following Iran's involvement in the war." He said Iran could "also provide additional advanced systems" to Russia in the near future.
Earlier, former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett had sought to mediate between Russia and Ukraine in the early days of the conflict, when he flew to Moscow to meet Putin. Bennett's successor, Yair Lapid, has taken a more critical stance on the invasion, drawing sharp criticism from Russia.
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