Ukraine will 'do everything to force Israel to stop'

Speaking at the annual Shangri-La Dialogue security forum in Singapore on June 2, Zelensky reaffirmed Israel’s right to defend itself against “Hamas terrorists.” The Ukrainian leader also raised concerns about the dire humanitarian situation in the Palestinian enclave, which is under siege by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

President Zelensky stated: “After Israel (entered) Gaza territory, a humanitarian crisis occurred," and affirmed that Kiev is ready to support the provision of aid to the region. Mr. Zelensky emphasized: “International law must be respected. Ukraine will recognize two states: Israel and Palestine. And will do everything to make Israel stop, so that this conflict can end and civilians will not be harmed."

Last year, President Zelensky complained that the war in Gaza was distracting the world from the conflict between Kiev and Moscow. “We can already see the consequences of the international community shifting [its attention] to the tragedy in the Middle East,” he told the Associated Press after Ukraine’s costly summer offensive failed to gain significant territory.

Unlike many Western countries, Israel has refused to impose sanctions on Russia and has ruled out sending weapons to Ukraine. More than 36,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched its operation in Gaza in response to a Hamas offensive on October 7 last year. US President Joe Biden revealed last week that Israel had proposed a new ceasefire with Hamas that would include the release of the remaining Israeli hostages./.