Yuval Fuchs, the Foreign Ministry’s deputy director-general for Eurasia, made it clear to Korniychuk that “his comments are completely unacceptable and fall outside diplomatic protocol. Moreover, the ambassador’s remarks ignore Israel’s clear position since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, as reflected, among other things, in Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar’s visit to Kyiv this year and in Israel’s votes at the U.N,” according to outlet Arutz Sheva.

Fuchs “expressed hope that the ambassador’s statements will align with the shared desire of both countries to continue and strengthen their cooperation,” the Israeli Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

On Monday, Netanyahu delivered a speech at the Knesset in which he boasted about the close ties he has developed over the years with Putin.

“I speak with President Putin on a regular basis, and this personal relationship that spans decades safeguards our vital interests—including now, including attempts to prevent us from defending our northern border, and that, of course, will not happen. The United States, India, Germany, Russia—these are four powers with which our relations have only strengthened as a result of the war,” the Israeli premier told the plenum during a deliberation concerning Israel’s international status.

The Ukrainian ambassador was invited by outlet Ynet for an interview the following day to discuss the prime minister’s comments.

“From a moral perspective, and especially after the people of Israel—whom I greatly respect—suffered the horrors of Hamas in the past two years, I believe morality must prevail,” the ambassador told Ynet.

“We have regarded Israel as the only democracy in the Middle East, and if Israel is truly a democracy, it must remain aligned with the other democratic nations against aggressors and against hypocrisy,” he added.

“I cannot advise your prime minister on what to say in his speeches, but I want to remind you that Russia— supposedly this ‘great power,’ as the prime minister called it—has been involved in a brutal war against Ukraine for almost four years,” Korniychuk said.

“They are killing women and children, massacring civilians, and creating many problems in terms of international law as well as humanitarian issues. Therefore, I was very surprised by the prime minister’s position. … I am certain that most Israelis are aware of Russia’s extensive efforts to support Hamas and Hezbollah.”

Speaking about the mutual benefit of Ukrainian-Israeli relations, the ambassador said, “I believe that after the war in Ukraine ends, Ukraine should become the ‘Israel’ of Central Europe, because we face the same problems and the same threats. Considering that you have dealt with many wounded over the past 80 years, this problem is relatively new for us, and we need to learn from your experience.”