- December 31, 2024
- 11:32 pm
- Video
In an exclusive interview, the Ukrainian Ambassador to Israel Yevgeny Korniychuk told TSN about what it’s like to be the voice of Ukraine in a country where its own war continues.
“One of the Israeli politicians told me: “Well, of course, Hamas is supported by Russia, so you are against Hamas and on the side of Israel.”“. I replied that it's not that simple. We feel the same pain as you and we understand you not because Hamas is connected to Russia, but because our peoples are experiencing similar tragedies.”
“Our main task then was to help the government conclude contracts for the supply of the COVID-19 vaccine as quickly as possible. Unexpectedly, we were supported in this by the current Prime Minister Netanyahu, who promptly provided the contact of the President of Pfizer in New York. As it turned out, this man is a Jew with Greek roots. We arranged a telephone conversation between the president and the head of Pfizer, and the president was able to convey the importance of the issue so convincingly that within two weeks the first contract for the supply of 20 million doses of the vaccine was signed.”
“Since the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7 last year and the outbreak of war in the Gaza Strip, our cooperation with Israel in the non-military sphere has developed rapidly. Although many details remain closed, it can be said that the interaction of our special services began from day one and turned out to be very effective. “As I understand it, the parties, including Mossad, Shabak and other structures, are satisfied with the results of this work.”
“Israel is beginning to recognize that they need Ukraine’s experience, although this is not easy for them. It is difficult for them to admit that they may not be the best at something. However, cooperation began to develop. Nevertheless, the Israelis continue to look for excuses, for example, that Russia is their neighbor in Syria, or that they are worried about the Jewish community in the Russian Federation. To this I ask the question: “What has the Ukrainian Jewish community done wrong?” After all, they are practically equal in numbers.”
“Regarding Zelensky’s visit to Israel, I can say that there were two attempts to organize his trip. It's not the president's fault that he was never able to come. He really wanted to. The first attempt was planned for the third day after the start of the war, but the Israeli side proposed postponing the visit. I explained that our president most often visits the front lines rather than traveling abroad, so it is extremely difficult to find another time. Unfortunately, a similar situation occurred with the second attempt – the visit did not take place again.”
“Your colleague, Israeli Ambassador Mikhail Brodsky, said in an interview that Ukraine is partly to blame for the cool relations between Ukraine and Israel, claiming that it uses pressure tactics through the media. – However, I do not agree with his opinion. Methods of persuasion do not work in the Middle East; the weak are not listened to. Strong positions make it possible to achieve what you need. Therefore, I believe that this is a certain slyness on his part.”
…. and much more
Why has Israel still not provided weapons to Ukraine, despite numerous requests? How did the events of October 7 change the approach of the Israeli leadership to helping Ukraine?
The Ambassador shared details about why he was summoned to the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs five times and what sensitive issues were discussed. Also in the interview, the topic of the future of Yevgeny Korniychuk is raised, because the media are actively discussing the possibility of his appointment as Ambassador of Ukraine to Germany.
The interview reveals the key points of cooperation between the two countries, crisis moments and prospects for the future.
Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_MkRI1XL5k
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