Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett

Naftali Bennett, born March 25, 1972, is an Israeli politician who served as the 13th and current told in an interview with Israel's Channel 12 television that shortly after the start of hostilities in Ukraine, Vladimir Putin

Vladimir Putin - Russian politician.

Born October 7, 1952 in Leningrad, now St. Petersburg. Prez promised him not to kill Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky

Volodymyr Zelensky is a Ukrainian artist, screenwriter, producer and politician. Volodymyr (sometimes, wrote the newspaper "Jerusalem Post", quoted by BTA.

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Russian invasion of Ukraine 9224

During the nearly five-hour interview, Bennett shared details of his well-known trip to Moscow, which he made in early March 2022, shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine began.

The Israeli leader then tried to broker a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine.

Although he failed to help end hostilities, Bennett received a promise from Putin that Zelensky, who was hiding in a secret bunker at the time, would not be killed.

Bennett directly asked the Russian president: "Do you intend to kill Zelensky?", to which Putin replied: "I will not kill Zelensky."

"I need to know that you give me your word," the then Israeli prime minister continued.

"I assure you," Putin replied.

"Are you sure," Bennett asked.

"One hundred percent", the Russian head of state was categorical.

In the interview, Bennett also said that the Israeli delegation landed in Moscow, where it was rainy and humid.

This was Bennett's first visit to the Russian capital.

He was accompanied by Zeev Elkin, then Minister of Housing, who was originally from Ukraine and spoke fluent Russian.

In the past, he acted as Netanyahu's interpreter in his meetings with Putin.

After the negotiations in Moscow ended, the Israeli delegates traveled to Berlin to meet with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

He joined their group and together they headed to France, and then to Great Britain and the United States.

All these countries were aware of Bennett's visit to Moscow.

"All my actions were coordinated with the United States, Germany and France," Bennett said.

Preparations for this moment had begun two months earlier, even before the war, when Bennett visited Putin in Sochi and the two had a lengthy conversation lasting about five or six hours.

 "He was smart and observant and a supporter of the Jews," the former Israeli prime minister recalled of Putin.

According to Bennett, the Russian president's decision not to kill Zelensky was essentially a concession to his goal of denazifying Ukraine.

He was also willing to revise his disarmament request.

Bennett managed to get concessions from Zelenskyi as well, and more specifically, a rejection of his desire to join Ukraine to NATO.

"I got the impression that they both wanted a ceasefire," Bennett said, but ultimately the talks did not stop the hostilities.

Bennett added that at the time he thought he was doing the right thing by visiting Moscow in an attempt to broker an end to the war.

However, 10 months have passed since then and it is ultimately unclear what impact his meeting with Putin had.

The situation is different now, Bennett said, adding that it is "legitimate" for new Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to change Israel's policy on the Russo-Ukraine war. 

Biden will discuss with Zelensky the requests for fighter jets

Russian invasion of Ukraine

Vladimir Putin

Volodymyr Zelensky

Naftali Bennett