Netanyahu offers himself as Russia-Ukraine mediator — RT World News
Israeli leader tells CNN he is ready to broker a peace deal between Moscow and Kyiv if asked to intervene
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has hinted that he may be willing to broker peace talks to help resolve the Russia-Ukraine crisis – if US President Joe Biden’s administration does not object.
“If all the parties concerned ask me, I will certainly think about it, but I don’t impose myself”, Netanyahu said Tuesday in an interview with CNN. “I’ve been around long enough to know that there has to be a ripe time and ripe circumstances. If they arise, I will certainly think about it.
Netanyahu returned to power as Israeli leader in late December, beginning his sixth term as prime minister after completing his last political comeback. He told CNN host Jake Tapper that he was asked to mediate at the start of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict last year, but he did not consider the offer because he was not a Premier. minister at the time. He declined to say who asked him to mediate between Kyiv and Moscow.
“I said, well, I have a rule, one prime minister at a time, like one president at a time,” Netanyahu said, adding that he considered the request unofficial and had not pursued the matter.
When asked if he would play such a role now, he referred to Washington saying: “If both sides ask me, and frankly, if the United States asks me, because I think, you know, you can’t have too many cooks in the kitchen.”
An aide to Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky said last month that Netanyahu could be a good choice as a peace broker. “I have no doubt that Netanyahu can be an effective mediator since he understands precisely what modern wars are and what is the essence of mediation under these conditions,” presidential adviser Mikhail Podoliak told i24 News.
Netanyahu has a wealth of protracted conflict experience, having served in elected office for four decades amid relentless conflict with the Palestinians. He said that while he considers the Ukrainian crisis a huge concern for the world, he is also troubled by Iran’s nuclear program.
“We have our own backyard to manage”, Netanyahu said. “I think it’s of monumental importance because I think world peace is at stake, like I think world peace is at stake with Iran getting nuclear weapons.”
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