{"id":1360869,"date":"2022-03-06T08:38:23","date_gmt":"2022-03-06T13:38:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1360869"},"modified":"2022-03-06T08:52:48","modified_gmt":"2022-03-06T13:52:48","slug":"israels-pm-bennett-holds-separate-talks-with-with-putin-and-zelensky","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/israels-pm-bennett-holds-separate-talks-with-with-putin-and-zelensky\/","title":{"rendered":"Israel\u2019s PM Bennett Holds Separate Talks With With Putin and Zelensky"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fisraels-pm-bennett-holds-separate-talks-with-with-putin-and-zelensky%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1360869&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div id=\"speechkit-wrapper\" class=\"speechkit-wrapper\">\n<p><span class=\"label-bg\">NEW<\/span>You can now listen to Fox News articles!\n  <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"speakable\">TEL AVIV \u2014 Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett held talks with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/world\/personalities\/vladimir-putin\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">President <u>Vladimir Putin<\/u><\/a> Saturday in the Kremlin over <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/world\/world-regions\/russia\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><u>Russia\u2019s invasion of Ukraine<\/u><\/a>, and then spoke with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/world\/volodymyr-zelenskyy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky<\/a>, an attempt to mediate a conflict that has caused growing civilian casualties and refugees.<\/p>\n<p class=\"speakable\">Before Mr. Bennett\u2019s visit, diplomacy by President Biden and European leaders failed to stop Mr. Putin from invading Ukraine or rolling back his tanks. In the face of massive Western sanctions, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/articles\/ukraine-russia-war-invasion-whats-happening-11646157211?mod=article_inline\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><u>Mr. Putin has found himself increasingly cut off from the world<\/u><\/a>, with few avenues for diplomacy and with his country\u2019s economy unplugged from much of global commerce.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Bennett\u2019s meeting with Mr. Putin took place &#8220;with the blessing of the U.S. administration,&#8221; said Mr. Bennett\u2019s office, which also noted that it coordinated with Germany and France. After seeing Mr. Putin, Mr. Bennett left Moscow for Berlin, where he met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, the prime minister\u2019s office said. Mr. Bennett was joined by Housing Minister Zeev Elkin, who was born in the now Ukrainian city of Kharkiv and assisted with the translation.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/live-news\/zelenskyy-video-cheered-at-pro-ukraine-rallies-across-europe-live-updates\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR: LIVE UPDATES<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The nearly three-hour conversation with Mr. Putin touched on the safety of Ukraine\u2019s Jewish population and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/articles\/iran-nuclear-deal-threatened-by-russian-demands-over-ukraine-sanctions-11646487044?mod=article_inline\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><u>international talks over Iran\u2019s nuclear program<\/u><\/a>, Mr. Bennett\u2019s office said. On Saturday, new demands from Russia\u2014a party to the nuclear talks\u2014threatened to derail efforts to restore the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, a pact that Israel opposes.<\/p>\n<h2>Sabbath flight to Moscow<\/h2>\n<p>Mr. Bennett flew to Moscow as Russian troops continued to meet fierce resistance from Ukrainian forces, and an agreement to evacuate civilians from two besieged cities fell apart.\u00a0Russia\u2019s invasion of its smaller neighbor last week has caused civilian casualties and sparked the largest movement of people in Europe since World War II as Ukrainians flee the bloodshed.<\/p>\n<div class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" \/><source media=\"(min-width: 767px)\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/640\/320\/Putin-3-split-Sun.jpg?ve=1&#038;tl=1\" alt=\"Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, center, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.\" \/><\/div>\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p>\n      Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, center, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.\n      <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The meeting comes about a week after Mr. Bennett, in a call with Mr. Putin, offered to mediate between Russia and Ukraine. Mr. Putin said during that call that he was &#8220;ready for negotiation,&#8221; a senior Israeli official said.<\/p>\n<p>Throughout the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Israel has found itself caught between powerful opposing forces. Israel\u2019s most important ally, the U.S., and pro-Western Ukraine, with a large Jewish population, have pushed Israel to side strongly with the Ukrainians. At the same time, Mr. Bennett\u2019s government has worried that taking sides would jeopardize its relationship with Russia, which allows Israel the freedom to bomb Iranian positions in Syria.<\/p>\n<div class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" \/><source media=\"(min-width: 767px)\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/640\/320\/bennett-Putin-2-A.jpg?ve=1&#038;tl=1\" alt=\"Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett in Sochi, Russia, Oct. 22, 2021.\u00a0\" \/><\/div>\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p>\n      Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett in Sochi, Russia, Oct. 22, 2021.\u00a0<br \/>\n      <span class=\"copyright\">(Sputnik\/Evgeny Biyatov\/Kremlin via Reuters)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Mr. Bennett has faced pressure domestically to boost support to Ukraine. Israel has so far refused a Ukrainian request for weapons and other military equipment, such as helmets and protective vests, Ukraine\u2019s ambassador, Yevgen Korniychuk, said earlier this week. But Israel has condemned Russia\u2019s invasion and voted for a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/livecoverage\/russia-ukraine-latest-news-2022-03-02\/card\/nations-rebuke-russia-s-ukraine-war-in-un-vote-rMYApy6Wme5R8PabImgn?mod=article_inline\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><u>United Nations resolution demanding an end to the offensive<\/u><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Bennett, an observant Jew, flew to Moscow during the Sabbath, underlining the urgent nature of his mission.<\/p>\n<p>Israel has worked to maintain good relations with the Kremlin and has been keen not to anger Moscow during the conflict. Russia\u2019s launch of a military intervention in Syria in 2015 turned it into an important player in the Middle East. Israel sees Russia\u2019s presence there as a moderating influence among Islamist militant organizations such as Hezbollah and Iran\u2019s increasingly aggressive stance.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Putin\u2019s stated aim of his invasion and decapitation of the Ukrainian government is denazification of the country, despite Mr. Zelensky\u2019s Jewish origins. Since Russia struck a television tower earlier this week in Kyiv\u2019s Babyn Yar area, the site of one of the worst massacres during the Holocaust, international Jewish condemnation of Russia\u2019s invasion has grown.<\/p>\n<h2>Negotiations since December<\/h2>\n<p>Mr. Bennett\u2019s efforts follow a series of negotiations and letters exchanged between Washington, Moscow and European capitals since mid-December, when Russia demanded written guarantees that NATO wouldn\u2019t expand eastward and\u00a0 that NATO withdraw troops and missiles from countries that joined the alliance after 1997.<\/p>\n<p>As Russia built up close to 200,000 troops on the Ukraine border, Germany\u2019s Mr. Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron were among the leading Europeans to visit Moscow in recent weeks, seeking to persuade Mr. Putin that his security concerns about Ukraine and NATO\u2019s expansion could be dealt with through dialogue.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Scholz sought to float some form of initiative based around the idea that Ukraine was unlikely to become a NATO member for many years. Mr. Macron suggested some form of neutrality for Ukraine had come up in talks.<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately, the Kremlin didn\u2019t budge on its initial demands and Mr. Putin went ahead with his invasion even while discussions were continuing with the Europeans and days before Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was due to meet his French and U.S. counterparts in Europe.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Yes, there was duplicity. Yes, there was a deliberate choice to launch the war when we were still negotiating peace,&#8221; Mr. Macron said in late February after a meeting of EU leaders on the Ukraine crisis.<\/p>\n<div class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" \/><source media=\"(min-width: 767px)\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/640\/320\/Bennett-Scholz-1.jpg?ve=1&#038;tl=1\" alt=\"German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, right, stands next to Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on the terrace of the Federal Chancellery, in Berlin, Germany, Saturday, March 5, 2022. Bennett arrived in Berlin from Moscow after a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin.\u00a0\" \/><\/div>\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p>\n      German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, right, stands next to Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on the terrace of the Federal Chancellery, in Berlin, Germany, Saturday, March 5, 2022. Bennett arrived in Berlin from Moscow after a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin.\u00a0<br \/>\n      <span class=\"copyright\">(Associated Press)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Both Messrs. Macron and Scholz have spoken to Mr. Putin in recent days, urging him to stop the violence.<\/p>\n<p>For Mr. Bennett the stakes are also high. In addition to Israel\u2019s close relationship with Russia and Ukraine and its efforts not to anger Washington by sitting on the fence over the crisis, Mr. Bennett\u2019s visit comes at a critical moment in the Vienna talks on restoring the nuclear deal.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/foxnews.onelink.me\/xLDS?pid=AppArticleLink&#038;af_dp=foxnewsaf%3A%2F%2F&#038;af_web_dp=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.foxnews.com%2Fapps-products\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Israel has long opposed the 2015 pact and is pressing its partners to ensure that if the deal is restored, pressure is kept on Iran to fully cooperate with international inspectors in Iran and to ensure Iran doesn\u2019t cheat.<\/p>\n<p>Russia has played a leading role in negotiating the restoration of the deal between the U.S. and Iran. However on Saturday, Mr. Lavrov threw a new hurdle in the way of a deal, demanding guarantees from Washington that powerful Western sanctions against Russia over its Ukraine attack won\u2019t disrupt trade between Russia and Iran under a restored agreement.<\/p>\n<p><i>Write to<strong> <\/strong>Thomas Grove at <\/i><a href=\"mailto:thomas.grove@wsj.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i><u>thomas.grove@wsj.com<\/u><\/i><\/a><i> and Laurence Norman at <\/i><a href=\"mailto:laurence.norman@wsj.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i><u>laurence.norman@wsj.com<\/u><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! TEL AVIV \u2014 Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett held talks with President Vladimir Putin Saturday in the Kremlin over Russia\u2019s invasion of<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1360869","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1360869","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1360869"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1360869\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1360869"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1360869"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1360869"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}