Zelensky 'shocked' by 'Israel' not arming Kiev despite reports
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asserts that his country is not receiving any military aid from "Israel" despite reports suggesting otherwise.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky meets with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Kiev, Ukraine, September 8, 2022 (AP Photo)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Friday that he was "shocked" that the Israeli occupation was not joining the West in supplying Kiev with weapons in light of the Ukraine war.
"I don't understand what has happened to Israel. I'm shocked... Israel has given us nothing, zero," Zelensky told French reporters.
The Ukrainian president said the Israeli government, while not giving arms to Ukraine, was supplying them to other countries.
"I understand that they need to defend their territory, but I have learned from our intelligence that Israel has been actually supplying these defense systems to other countries," Zelensky added.
What comes off as inaccurate about the Ukrainian President's words is that Israeli media reported earlier in the month that an Israeli arms manufacturer was supplying anti-UAV systems to Ukraine via Poland, with the sales conducted through Warsaw to circumvent "Tel Aviv's" refusal to sell advanced arms to Ukraine.
The firm reportedly informed the Israeli Ministry of Security that it was selling arms to Poland, though it pretended not to know the latter was then giving the weapons to Kiev to use against Russia.
The anti-UAV systems enable their users to intercept and disrupt drones. Classified as "advanced defensive technology", the systems are not approved for sale to Kiev, though "Tel Aviv" did not seem to be interested in foiling the deal.
The Israeli occupation uses anti-drone systems around the Gaza separation wall, the Palestinian-Lebanese borders, and the Palestinian-Syrian borders, with "Israel" claimed to be one of the world's top developers and manufacturers of the technology with the involvement of various Israeli arms manufacturers, such as IAI, Elbit, and MCTECH.
The Israeli occupation has refused to join the West's bid in arming Ukraine, arguing that it would harm its already sensitive ties with Russia.
However, due to "Israel's" support of Ukraine, tensions soared between "Tel Aviv" and Moscow, prompting the latter to close the "Jewish Agency for Israel's" work in Russia, giving rise to further tensions.
Relations between "Israel" and Russia have witnessed tension in recent months, as the Russian Foreign Ministry summoned the Israeli ambassador to Russia, Alexander Ben Zvi, over a statement by Yair Lapid when he was foreign minister in April, when he condemned Russia's practices in Ukraine, describing them as "war crimes".
In addition to the Jewish Agency issue between "Israel" and Russia, a dual-citizen Israeli-Ukrainian by the name of Vladimir Kozlovsky was captured in the Lugansk People's Republic as he was fighting among the mercenaries siding with Ukraine. It is evident that his release will not take place easily in light of the lack of trust between "Israel" and Russia.
