The Ukrainian president was reportedly told “the time is not right” to visit amid the conflict with Hamas
© AFP / Yves Herman
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky had reportedly wished to visit Israel as a gesture of solidarity in the aftermath of the conflict between the country and the Palestinian militant group Hamas. However, Israeli media reported on Monday that he was advised against visiting.
Zelensky was allegedly told “the time is not right” for making such a visit, YNet reported. After touring Europe again, the Ukrainian president wanted to travel to the country alongside US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
The Ukrainian president’s intention to visit Israel to show “solidarity” was first reported by Axios last Wednesday. The trip would have boosted “international support for Israel’s counteroffensive against Hamas in Gaza,” the report suggested.
Zelensky proclaimed Ukraine’s full support for Israel shortly after the surprise attack launched by Hamas early on October 7. The president rallied for broader international support for Israel, insisting it was necessary under the current circumstances.
“This is why I urge all leaders to visit Israel and show their support for the people. I’m not talking about any institutions, but about support for the people who suffered from terrorist attacks and are dying today,” the Ukrainian leader said last week.
At the same time, Zelensky apparently lamented that the new escalation in the Middle East had stolen the limelight from Kiev, with the Ukrainian conflict disappearing from the Western media coverage and giving way to Israel instead.
“If international attention shifts away from Ukraine, one way or another, it will have consequences. The fate of Ukraine depends on the unity of the rest of the world,” Zelensky stated in an interview with France 2 last Tuesday.
