Putin has promised not to kill Ukraine President: Ex-Israel PM

Agencies | Jerusalem                                       

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com     

Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, who served briefly as a mediator at the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine war, claimed to have received a promise from Russian President Vladimir Putin not to kill Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, reported the news agency, Associated Press.

Bennett, who made a surprise visit to Moscow to meet with Putin, was one of the few Western leaders to do so during the war. Despite Bennett's mediation efforts having little impact on ending the conflict, his interview sheds light on behind-the-scenes diplomacy and urgent efforts to bring the war to a close in its early stages. In the five-hour interview, Bennett mentioned that he asked Putin about his intentions towards President Zelenskyy.

“I asked ‘what’s with this? Are you planning to kill Zelenskyy?’ He said ‘I won’t kill Zelenskyy.’ I then said to him ‘I have to understand that you’re giving me your word that you won’t kill Zelenskyy.’ He said ‘I’m not going to kill Zelenskyy,’” Bennett was quoted as saying by AP.

Bennett stated that he then informed President Zelenskyy of Putin's promise through a call.

“‘Listen, I came out of a meeting, he’s not going to kill you.’ He asks, ‘are you sure?’ I said '100% he won’t kill you.’”

According to Bennett, Putin abandoned his promise to disarm Ukraine and Zelenskyy made a commitment not to join NATO during Bennett's mediation efforts. The Kremlin has not yet commented on Bennett's remarks and has previously denied allegations that Russia planned to assassinate Zelenskyy. In response to Bennett's interview, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba warned on Twitter that Putin cannot be trusted.

“Do not be fooled: He is an expert liar. Every time he has promised not to do something, it has been exactly part of his plan,” Kuleba said about the Russian leader.

Naftali Bennett, who served as Prime Minister for just over half a year when the war broke out, unexpectedly entered into international diplomacy, putting Israel in a difficult position between Russia and Ukraine.

Israel sees its good relations with Russia as crucial in the face of threats from Iran, but also aligns itself with Western nations and shows support for Ukraine. Bennett, an observant Jew with limited international recognition, flew to Moscow to meet with Putin during the Jewish Sabbath, breaking his religious obligations and becoming a prominent figure in global efforts to end the war.

However, his efforts to make peace did not seem successful and his term as Prime Minister was brief. Bennett's government, a politically diverse coalition that led to current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's temporary political departure, fell apart due to internal conflict. Bennett has since left politics and is now a private citizen.