Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said in an interview that Russian President Vladimir Putin had promised him “not to kill Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky”.
On the 5th (local time), the British daily Guardian quoted local Israeli media as saying that former Israeli Prime Minister Bennett made such a promise from President Putin when he secretly visited Moscow to mediate the war in March last year, right after Russia invaded Ukraine he was reported to have received Bennett was the first Western leader to meet Putin since Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year.
Former Prime Minister Bennett reportedly asked Putin, “Are you planning to kill Zelensky?” and Putin replied, “I will not kill Zelensky.” Former Prime Minister Bennett then confirmed once again, “You promised me you wouldn’t kill Zelensky,” to which President Putin repeatedly replied, “You won’t kill Zelensky.”
Also, former Prime Minister Bennett called President Zelensky on the way to Moscow airport to return home and convey Putin’s promise. In response, President Zelensky asked, “Are you sure?” Former Prime Minister Bennett told him, “100% it won’t kill you,” the Guardian reported.
Former Prime Minister Bennett also said in an interview that his mediation efforts led to President Zelensky abandoning Ukraine’s NATO membership, and President Putin retracted his original statement that he would pursue the disarmament of Ukraine to end the war. “Everything I did was coordinated with the United States, Germany and France,” he added.
The Ukrainian side dismissed former Prime Minister Bennett’s comments that day as “lies.” “Putin has promised in the past not to occupy Crimea and not to invade Ukraine, but he did all this,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitro Kuleba tweeted. “Putin is a professional liar.” Mikhailo Podolyak, adviser to the President of Ukraine, also tweeted: “All the statements from (Bennett) that guaranteed Putin (President Zelensky) will not be killed and that the West interfered with promising negotiations will all be make up.”
