Bennett concludes meeting with Putin, speaks with Zelensky

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett flew to Berlin, immediately after meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow for three hours on Saturday.

Bennett was set to meet with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. The leaders met in Jerusalem on Wednesday.

Earlier, Bennett and Putin discussed the war in Ukraine, including the situation of Israelis and Jewish communities as a result of the conflict, a diplomatic source said.

Bennett informed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in advance of the meeting with Putin, and called him after concluding the meeting, before departing Moscow.

The prime minister coordinated his trip to Moscow in advance with the US, France and Germany – all parties to the Iran talks. Turkey was also updated, as Bennett’s flight route was over their territory.

In addition, Putin and Bennett discussed Iran talks, with the latter emphasizing that Israel opposes a return to the 2015 nuclear deal, which is the aim of the negotiations in Vienna.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov made new demands in the negotiations of an Iran nuclear deal in Vienna over the weekend, calling for written guarantees that sanctions related to the Ukraine war will not stop it from trading with Tehran.

That demand came as sides said a return to the 2015 nuclear deal was days away. Jerusalem has been very critical of the deal, saying that it does not restrict Iran’s nuclear program sufficiently nor for a long enough time, while lifting sanctions that will make the Islamic Republic flush with cash to put into its proxy warfare across the Middle East.

Putin and Bennett agreed to continue the deconfliction mechanism in Syria, Channel 12 News reported. Jerusalem coordinates with Moscow before airstrikes on Iranian targets in Syria, where the Russian Army is the dominant force.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine, Israel has been trying to balance the national security importance of coordination with Russia with Israel’s strongest strategic alliance with the US and support for democracy and international order.

Israel condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine through Foreign Minister Yair Lapid and a vote in the UN General Assembly, but Bennett has been reticent to say anything about Russia. In his recent statements, he has expressed support for the Ukrainian people and called for negotiations.

The prime minister was the first leader of a democracy to meet with Putin since Russia invaded Ukraine 10 days prior.

Bennett departed Israel early Saturday morning for the trip, which was planned after he spoke with Putin on Wednesday about the war in Ukraine.

The prime minister previously spoke with Putin and Zelensky twice since Russia invaded Ukraine. Zelensky has asked Bennett to try to mediate between the sides.

Bennett and Building and Construction Minister Ze’ev Elkin, who served as translator, both observe the Jewish Sabbath and flying on Saturday indicates that there was an urgent national security need.

Elkin has translated Putin for prime ministers in meetings for over a decade. The Kharkiv-born minister has a brother in Ukraine and was reportedly offered a cabinet post by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky after he was elected in 2019.

National Security Adviser Eyal Hulata, Diplomatic Adviser Shimrit Meir and Spokesman Matan Sidi also accompanied Bennett to Moscow.