Ajit Karn
A former Israeli prime minister who was a mediator at the start of the war between Russia and Ukraine says he got the Russian president Putin to promise not to kill his Ukrainian counterpart.
In the first weeks of the war, former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett became an unlikely mediator. He was one of the few Western leaders to meet President Vladimir Putin during the war, when he made a quick trip to Moscow in March of last year.
Bennett’s efforts as a mediator don’t seem to have stopped the violence that is still going on today. However, his comments in an interview that was posted online late Saturday shed light on the backroom diplomacy and urgent efforts that were made in the early days of the conflict to end it quickly.
Bennett says that during the five-hour interview, which covered many different topics, he asked Putin if he planned to kill Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“I asked, ‘What’s going on here? Are you planning to kill Zelenskyy?’ He said ‘I won’t kill Zelenskyy.’ Then I told him, “I have to understand that you’re telling me you won’t kill Zelenskyy on your own word.” He said ‘I’m not going to kill Zelenskyy.'”
Bennett said that after Putin’s promise, he called Zelenskyy to tell him about it.
“‘Listen, I just got out of a meeting. He won’t kill you,'” she said. “Are you sure?” he asks. I said ‘100% he won’t kill you.'”
Bennett said that during his mediation, Putin stopped saying he would try to get Ukraine to give up its weapons, and Zelenskyy said he wouldn’t join NATO.
Bennett, who had only been prime minister for a little over six months when the war started and didn’t have much experience as a leader, suddenly found himself in the middle of international diplomacy. This was because he had put Israel in an awkward spot between Russia and Ukraine. Israel thinks that its good relationships with the Kremlin are important because Iran is a threat, but it also tries to align itself with Western countries and show support for Ukraine.
“I asked, ‘What’s going on here? Are you planning to kill Zelenskyy?’ He said ‘I won’t kill Zelenskyy.’ Then I told him, “I have to understand that you’re telling me you won’t kill Zelenskyy on your own word.” He said ‘I’m not going to kill Zelenskyy.'”
Bennett said that after Putin’s promise, he called Zelenskyy to tell him about it.
“‘Listen, I just got out of a meeting. He won’t kill you,'” she said. “Are you sure?” he asks. I said ‘100% he won’t kill you.'”
Also read:- Pakistan’s Former President Pervez Musharraf Dies At 79
Bennett said that during his mediation, Putin stopped saying he would try to get Ukraine to give up its weapons, and Zelenskyy said he wouldn’t join NATO.
Bennett, who had only been prime minister for a little over six months when the war started and didn’t have much experience as a leader, suddenly found himself in the middle of international diplomacy. This was because he had put Israel in an awkward spot between Russia and Ukraine. Israel thinks that its good relationships with the Kremlin are important because Iran is a threat, but it also tries to align itself with Western countries and show support for Ukraine.
