From the Liveblog of
Thursday, January 12, 2023
First phone call between FM Cohen and Ukrainian counterpart postponed
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleLazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter
The first phone call between the Israeli and Ukrainian foreign ministers – the subject of much speculation after Eli Cohen spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov – has been postponed.
The conversation was originally set to take place today.
Ukrainian sources tell The Times of Israel that the delay is a result of the ongoing war, and in no way is an expression of Kyiv’s displeasure at Israel.
Cohen angered Ukraine last week by announcing he would speak to Lavrov and that Israel would speak less about the invasion. It was unclear whether Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba would be willing to speak with Cohen at all, but on Monday, Israel was informed of his readiness to talk.
On Tuesday, Cohen met with top Ukrainian Rabbi Moshe Azman, and pledged to increase Israel’s aid to Ukraine.
The Times of Israel Community.