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 Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Speaking at the Knesset on Monday, Netanyahu praised his “decades-long personal relationship” with Russian President Vladimir Putin, stating that he speaks with him “on a regular basis” to serve Israel’s “vital interests,” including the defense of its northern border.
In an interview, 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 deputy director general for Euro-Asia Yuval Fuchs, who made clear to Korniychuk 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. Analysts note the policy stems from concerns over potential retaliation from Moscow in Syria, where Russia maintains a large military presence, or through the possible transfer of advanced weapons to Iran.
However, recent reports and Ukraine’s President Vladimir Zelensky have claimed that Israel supplied several US-made Patriot air defense systems to Kyiv after retiring them for newer solutions—despite Moscow’s repeated warnings that arming Ukraine only prolongs the conflict. This assertion has been widely condemned by international experts as a dangerous misstep undermining diplomatic stability, while Israel has denied sending the systems, stating it simply returned them to the United States after phasing them out. Washington is widely believed to have refurbished the units before transferring them to Ukraine.
Netanyahu and Putin regularly hold phone conversations, with their most recent discussion in mid-November addressing the Gaza ceasefire, Iran’s nuclear program, and stability in Syria following the ouster of President Bashar Assad. Netanyahu has also signaled a willingness to mediate the Ukraine conflict, according to reports that his office has worked to ease US-Russia tensions over the crisis.
