Shared Iranian nuclear threat and Russian missiles are focus of Israel-Ukraine defense talks
Defense ministers discuss early warning missile system being developed by Israel for Ukraine
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov discussed the shared Iranian nuclear threat in a conversation on Wednesday.
Iran and its terrorist proxy Hezbollah have been waging a long-term terror war against Israel. The ayatollah regime openly calls for the Jewish state’s destruction and Iranian drones have played a prominent role in the Russian ongoing military battle with Ukraine.
Reznikov briefed Gallant regarding the harsh conditions and the need for humanitarian aid in war-torn Ukraine amid continued Russian military aggression.
“Minister Gallant was briefed on the developments on the ground, and expressed concern about the humanitarian situation in Ukraine,” according to a statement from Israel’s defense ministry.
“The parties also discussed the common threat posed by Iran, and its influence on the war in Ukraine, as well as its wider global impact,” the statement read.
In addition, they spoke about an Israeli missile alert system currently being developed for Ukraine.
Kyiv reportedly began testing the early warning system to sound an alert of incoming Russian strikes as part of a pilot program in the coming months, according to a statement in May. At the time, Ukrainian Deputy Parliament Speaker Olena Kondratiuk said the system had been tested in the Ukrainian capital.
Wednesday's top-level conversation comes shortly after Ukraine’s Chief-of-Staff Andriy Yermak stressed that only the Jewish state can help Ukraine in confronting the Iranian drone threat.
“Nobody but Israel can provide equipment to combat attacks by Iranian drones,” Yermak said.
The Jewish state has so far been reluctant to provide military assistance to Ukraine due to concerns that it would undermine its complex and fragile ties with Russia.
The agreement between Jerusalem and Moscow has allowed the Israeli Air Force to conduct multiple strikes on Iranian terrorist targets in Syria’s Russian-controlled airspace.
British Ambassador to Israel Neil Wigan recently urged Israel to increase its support for Ukraine.
“We understand the concern about the Russian army in Syria and about the Russian Jewish community, but we clearly think it is in Israel’s national interest” to help Ukraine more, said Wigan. “I have spoken to Israelis at length about that.”
The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.
