Ukraine ambassador denies Zelenskyy was refused ‘solidarity visit’ to Israel

Ukrainian ambassador to Israel Yevhen Korniychuk on Tuesday dismissed as "speculations" media reports that the Israeli government had refused to accept Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to the country as a show of solidarity.

Speaking on local radio, Mr Korniychuk said Mr Zelenskyy’s movement options were limited amid Russia’s full-scale war against his country.

"I can't comment on whether he was invited or not. I can only say that in the situation of martial law in Ukraine and the escalation in the east [of Ukraine], Mr Zelenskyy does not have many opportunities to leave the country," the ambassador explained.

He added that recent contacts between Kyiv and Jerusalem were "positive".

"All those reports are a speculation and have nothing to do with our relationship. There has been no official request [for a visit] from Mr Zelenskyy. I am sure that during his next international series of visits, there will be such an opportunity, and the Israeli government will have no objections," the diplomat concluded.

Ukraine’s president, a Jew, has been a vocal supporter of Israel after it was attacked by the Hamas terrorist group, drawing parallels between his and Kyiv’s fight against aggression.

While Jerusalem has repeatedly expressed support for Ukraine since Russian forces invaded Ukraine last February last year, it has stopped short of offering military aid, wary of Moscow’s response in Syria, sparking diplomatic tensions between the two, the Times of Israel reports.