Moscow:
Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomed the return of Benjamin Netanyahu as head of the Israeli government on Thursday and signaled an intention to strengthen cooperation, the Kremlin said.
Israel’s aggressive veteran Netanyahu was sworn in as prime minister on Thursday after a stint in the opposition, heading what analysts call the most right-wing government in the country’s history.
“I hope that the new government under your leadership will continue the line of strengthening Russian-Israeli cooperation in all fields for the benefit of our peoples, in the interest of ensuring peace and security in the Middle East,” Putin said. in a message to Netanyahu, quoted in the statement.
“In Russia, we greatly appreciate your personal and long-term contribution to strengthening friendly relations between our countries,” Putin said.
After the start of the Russian offensive in Ukraine in February, Israel took a cautious stance towards Moscow, trying to maintain neutrality.
Israel has particularly emphasized the special ties between the two nations, as Israel has more than one million citizens from the former Soviet Union.
Russia’s foreign ministry said it was “ready for constructive cooperation” with Israel to “clarify the climate in the Middle East and the international scene in general.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also wished Netanyahu “success on the road to Israel’s well-being and security” on Twitter.
He spoke of Ukraine’s “readiness for close cooperation to strengthen our ties and face common challenges, achieve prosperity and conquer evil”.
Israel has not supplied Ukraine with weapons, despite Zelensky’s repeated requests.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DailyExpertNews staff and is being published from a syndicated feed.)
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