Ukraine and Israel enjoy strong political, military, diplomatic and also people to people ties. In an interview with The Jerusalem Post, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy named three priorities for Ukrainian-Israeli relations.
“First, I would like to re-establish normal flights and travels between our two countries as soon as the COVID-19 situation allows us to do so. I know that many pilgrims look forward to visiting Uman later on in the year, and we look forward to welcoming them,” the Head of State said.
Secondly, according to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the two countries need to further reinforce military, intelligence and defense cooperation.
“Israel’s technology and know-how can play an important role in protecting Ukrainian citizens,” he noted.
“Third, Israel and Ukraine are both leaders in innovation and hi-tech. We should increase exchanges and cooperation between companies and research centres of our two countries,” the President added.
According to the Head of State, today both countries face a common challenge: how to thrive and be successful in conditions of military conflict.
“We know how difficult it is to move towards peace and how important it is for prosperity,” the President stressed.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized that Israel plays an important role supporting Ukraine as it resolves the military conflict in the east.
“We are grateful for the support of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity and look forward to working closely on this issue,” the Head of State noted.
Also, according to the President, Ukraine and Israel faced the problem of misinformation and pandemic, just as the whole world did.
“I believe Ukraine has something to learn from Israel in terms of cyber challenges, as today you are among the leaders who have succeeded on this path. We look forward to working together to overcome challenges, exchange experience and cooperate for common prosperity,” the President said.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy also noted that many Israeli citizens are natives of Ukraine, and this, of course, plays an important role in good relations between the two countries.