For the first time since the Russian invasion, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met on Tuesday with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.
Seconds after shaking hands with the Prime Minister, Zelenskyy rushed to give Mossad head David Barnea a warm hug, something that sparked worldwide attention and speculation that the two know each other.
At the start of the meeting between the two leaders, Zelenskyy said, "I expect a lot from Israel, but there are no problems in our relations."
When asked if he was satisfied with Israel’s policy vis-à-vis Ukraine, the Ukrainian President replied, "We will sit down now and talk about relations and important things and see what happens next."
At the conclusion of the meeting, which lasted about half an hour, the teams left the room and the two leaders remained to speak face to face.
The Prime Minister’s Office said following the meeting, “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met today during the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The meeting was friendly.”
“Prime Minister Netanyahu made it clear that Israel will continue to help Ukraine with humanitarian issues,” the statement added.