Zelenskyy expects Israel to join anti-Russia sanctions

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on September 1 said he expects Israel to join international sanctions against Russia, following his first conversation with Prime Minister Yair Lapid.

The two countries have had a somewhat rocky relationship since Russia invaded Ukraine, as Israel seeks to balance its ties between the two warring nations, The Times of Israel reports.

Zelensky also called for Israel to continue providing aid to Ukraine.

"I count on [Israel's] accession to the sanctions on Russia and provision of practical assistance to Ukraine in countering the aggression of the Russian Federation," Zelensky said in a statement after the call.

Lapid's office said he had highlighted his support for Ukraine and wished Zelenskyy a happy independence day, which Ukraine marked last week.

The two also discussed the war, with the prime minister expressing condolences for those killed and wounded and calling for a diplomatic solution, Lapid's office said.

Lapid also urged Israelis not to visit the western Ukrainian city of Uman during Rosh Hashanah for an annual pilgrimage to a religious site there. Israeli officials have repeatedly warned against making the trip this year, with the Foreign Ministry on September 1 saying visiting could pose a "real and immediate risk to lives" due to the war.

The September 1 call was the first conversation between the two leaders since Lapid became prime minister. In his previous job as foreign minister, Lapid had more explicitly pro-Ukrainian views than his predecessor as premier, Naftali Bennett.

Lapid's government sent large shipments of protective gear and began to provide direct financial support for civil aid organisations operating in the war-torn country in July.

Lapid has, however, continued Bennett’s policy of not providing Ukraine with advanced defence systems, including the Iron Dome, or with offensive weapons.

Israel has sought to maintain ties with Russia, which controls the airspace over Syria and which has a large Jewish community.