Israel advised President Zelensky not to visit.
(Baonghean.vn) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reportedly wanted to visit Israel as a gesture of solidarity following the conflict between the Jewish state and the Palestinian militant group Hamas. However, Israeli media reported on October 16 that Zelensky had been advised against the visit.
YNet reports that Israeli officials reportedly informed President Zelensky that "the time is not right" for the visit. Following another trip to Europe, the Ukrainian president wanted to visit Israel with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
President Blinken visited the Israeli state on October 16th, his second visit since the conflict escalated. However, Israel told Ukraine that now "is not the right time" for Zelensky's visit, according to Ynet. This refusal, however, "does not mean that (President) Zelensky will not visit Israel." According to Ynet, such a visit could take place later during the Ukrainian president's possible European tour.
The Ukrainian president's intention to visit Israel to show "solidarity" was first reported by the news agency Axios last Wednesday. According to Axios, the visit would strengthen "international support for Israel's counter-offensive against Hamas in Gaza."
President Zelensky declared Ukraine's full support for Israel immediately after the surprise attack launched by Hamas in the early morning of October 7th. President Zelensky has been campaigning for broad international support for Israel, emphasizing its necessity in the current circumstances. “This is why I call on all leaders to visit Israel and show support for the people. I am not talking about any particular organization, but about support for those affected by the terrorist attacks and who are dying today,” the Ukrainian leader affirmed last week.
At the same time, the President seemed to lament that the new escalation in the Middle East had diverted international attention from the issue of Ukraine, as the conflict in that country disappeared from Western media and gave way to Israel.
“If international attention is diverted from Ukraine, one way or another, it will have consequences. The fate of Ukraine depends on the solidarity of the rest of the world,” Zelensky stated in an interview with France 2 last Tuesday.
