Israel turns down US request for Hawk missile supplies to Ukraine

Israel on January 25 rejected the request by the US to send Hawk missiles to Ukraine as Washington looks to bolster defences for Kyiv ahead of a looming Russian offensive.

The Biden administration asked for old Hawk anti-aircraft missiles that Jerusalem had in storage as air defence remains a top priority for Ukraine, first reported Axios.

"The policy of the security echelon has not changed," a spokesperson from the Israeli Ministry of Defense told Fox News. "Each request is examined on its merits. Beyond that, we do not refer to additional details."

Israeli anti-aircraft Hawk Missile Battery aiming for Iraq.

The request’s rejection comes just one week after the U.S. said it transferred thousands of artillery shells from weapons stockpiles in Israel to Ukraine and said it would take similar steps in South Korea.

The US is "looking under every rock" for munitions, an official told Fox News.

Both Israel and South Korea have vowed not to provide lethal aid to Ukraine, and neither country has broken that promise – though some fear Russia could argue allowing the US to siphon arms from their stockpiles constitutes aid, some reporting suggested earlier this month.

Ukraine also took issue with the new Netanyahu administration after Israel’s recently appointed foreign minister, Eli Cohen, held a call with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in early January and suggested Jerusalem was pursuing a policy change when it came to diplomatic relations with Moscow.

The call was the first time an active Israeli foreign minister had contacted Lavrov since the war in Ukraine had begun in February 2022.