Monitoring Desk
ISLAMABAD: Naftali Bennett, a former Israeli premier who served briefly as a mediator in the initial days of the Russia-Ukraine war, has claimed that he drew a promise from Russian President Vladimir Putin not to kill his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky.
Naftali Bennett had emerged as an intermediary in the first weeks of the war. He was one of the few Western leaders to meet Putin during the war in a snap trip to Moscow in March 2022.
While his mediation efforts appear to have done little to end the violence that continues until today, his remarks in an interview shared online on Saturday (February 4) shed light on the urgent efforts and backroom diplomacy underway to bring the war to a speedy conclusion in its start.
On Twitter, UAE geopolitical commentator Hassan Sajwani shared the video of Naftali Bennett’s statement:
In the interview, Bennett said he asked the Russian leader about whether he intended to kill Zelensky. “He replied, No!”.
Bennett said that he got promise from Putin that he will not kill the Ukrainian president.
Bennett Called Volodomyr Zelenskyy
Bennett added that he then called Volodomyr Zelensky and informed him of Putin’s promise.
Bennet further said that Zelensky sought confirmation from him and he assured him that “100 percent, Putin will not kill you.”
The former premier went on to claim that during his mediation, Putin dropped his intention to seek Ukraine’s disarmament and Zelensky promised not to join NATO.
