Are you with Ukraine or with Russia? Zelensky called on Israel to decide

Speaking via video link at the Haaretz Democratic Summit in Israel on Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged Israel to decide whether it wants to be with the entire democratic world, or with those who turn a blind eye to Russian aggression.

“Isn’t it time for your state to choose who you are with? Or with the democratic world, which is fighting against the threat to its very existence, or with those who turn a blind eye to Russian terror even when it threatens to completely destroy global security?” – Zelensky asked a question to the forum participants, in which leading Israeli politicians take part.

Zelensky recalled that on October 17, Ukraine was attacked by 42 Iranian-made drones, the targets of which were infrastructure facilities and residential buildings. One of the destroyed residential buildings in the center of Kyiv survived World War II, but could not withstand the impact of an Iranian drone, the president said.

Meanwhile, according to Ukrainian intelligence, Russia has ordered 2,000 such drones and other military equipment from Iran.

“How did this alliance become possible?” asked the President of Ukraine. “Yes, because Russia loses to us on the battlefield, we beat it on our soil, but we still don’t have our own “iron dome.” Therefore, Russia is trying to compensate for the loss with terror in the air on the ground”.

According to Zelensky, Russia is trying to compensate for the lack of weapons by all means, including by purchasing them from Iran, and in return it can contribute to Tehran’s nuclear program.

“I believe that this alliance of theirs can still be deprived of meaning if we act together,” the President of Ukraine said. “Of course, this is the decision of your state, your governments. It seems that it was made a long time ago – in 2014, when Russia launched aggression against Ukraine. The decision to “not irritate” the Kremlin, not to help Ukraine is realistic.”

At the same time, Zelensky thanked Israel for the medical assistance and expressed the hope that the Ukrainians will still receive military assistance to put an end to the air strikes that Russia continues to inflict.