Live: Israel’s Netanyahu considering military aid for Ukraine, open to mediator role ‘if asked’
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday he was considering extending military aid to Ukraine, including possibly Iron Dome technology, its US-backed air defence system, and confirmed that the US had moved a store of munitions from Israel to Ukraine. Meanwhile, a US defence firm offered to sell two advanced Reaper drones to Ukraine for the symbolic price of $1. Follow FRANCE 24’s liveblog for all the latest developments. All times are in Paris time (GMT+1).
5:45am: Netanyahu considering military aid, mediation for Ukraine
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an interview aired Tuesday he was considering military aid to Ukraine and was willing to serve as a mediator, following US calls for more active involvement.
Netanyahu was asked in an interview with CNN if Israel could provide assistance to Ukraine such as Iron Dome, the US-backed technology that defends Israel from air attack. “Well, I’m certainly looking into it,” Netanyahu said.
He confirmed that the United States has shifted a little-known stockpile of artillery it stations in Israel to Ukraine and he cast the Jewish state’s own operations against Iran as part of a similar effort. “The US just took a huge chunk of Israel’s munitions and passed it on to Ukraine. Israel also, frankly, acts in ways that I will not itemise here against Iran’s weapons productions which are used against Ukraine,” he said.
He said he was willing to mediate if asked by the parties and the United States. “I’ve been around long enough to know that there has to be a right time and the right circumstances. If they arise, I’ll certainly consider it,” he said.
The remarks come after a visit by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who called for calm following a flare-up of violence between Israel and the Palestinians and also nudged Israel to boost support to Ukraine.
5:26am: US defence firm General Atomics offers to sell advanced drones to Ukraine for one dollar and shipping costs
The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that a US defense company, General Atomics, has offered to sell Kyiv two Reaper MQ-9 drones for a dollar as it prepares for an expected Russian offensive.
Under the deal, Kyiv would have to spend about $10 million to ship the aircraft to Ukraine, and about $8 million each year for maintenance, the Journal said, citing a letter from General Atomics to a Ukrainian diplomat.
There was no immediate comment on the report from Washington.
(FRANCE 24 WITH AFP, AP AND REUTERS)
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