Zelensky speaks again with Bennett amid Israeli mediation efforts

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday night that he’d spoken again with Israel’s Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, who has been trying to mediate an end to hostilities following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

In a late-night address, Zelensky said he’d held calls with several world leaders, among them Bennett and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

“All the conversations and speeches are so that Russia will understand one thing: We need to reach peace. Russia should also want peace,” he said.

He did not offer any specific details about his call with Bennett.

There was no immediate confirmation from Israel of the conversation, which came several days after Zelensky spoke over Zoom Sunday to Knesset lawmakers, in a speech in which he lamented the middling support from Jerusalem.

Zelensky, however, changed tact after the address, saying he was “grateful” for Bennett’s mediation efforts. His chief of staff on Thursday also praised the Israeli mediation and said Kyiv considers Jerusalem “one of the priority venues” for a meeting between the Ukrainian president and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Ukraine’s ambassador to Israel this week pleaded for urgency in Bennett’s efforts, stressing that there should be a permanent team working 24/7 to help bring about a ceasefire.

The latest phone call between Zelensky and Bennett came a day after the premier also spoke with Putin.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky; Prime Minister Naftali Bennett; and Russian President Vladimir Putin. (Composite/AP)

Bennett has held a handful of calls with both Putin and Zelensky, as he has sought to exploit Israel’s working ties with both countries to help mediate a ceasefire that will end the war. He even traveled earlier this month to Moscow, where he became the first foreign leader to meet in person with Putin since the invasion began on February 24.

The prime minister has reportedly told his staff to lay the groundwork for a possible trip to Kyiv if enough progress is made in the negotiations to warrant such a summit.

Bennett has sought to avoid aligning too closely with Ukraine due to fears that it might risk spoiling Israel’s ties with Russia, which controls the airspace over Syria. Israel needs coordination with Moscow as it operates to target Iranian proxies in the country.