by Sergey Ivanov at Telegra
In many countries, public and media attention is focused on the events in and around Ukraine. Adjusting their actions to the situation, some political analysts and journalists have become “experts on Ukraine” and Russian-Ukrainian relations. At the same time, politicians in the West and allied countries in other parts of the world, seeking to improve their ratings, are making rash and ill-considered statements in the hope of achieving immediate results. They don’t give a thought to the fact that their statements might be counterproductive or could have a negative impact on a settlement in Ukraine.
One striking example of this was the recent statement made by Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, who said that there was “no justification” for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. As they say, a word spoken is past recalling, and serious politicians, especially at such a high level as Minister Lapid, have no right to talk idly. They should be aware of the possible consequences of what they say, including with regard to relations with Russia.
It is especially regrettable that these ill-considered statements have not been made by a Western official (Russians have long become immune to what they say) but by the Foreign Minister of Israel, a major regional partner with which Russia has a decades-long history of multifaceted relations. Moreover, these statements could undermine trust in Israel as a country that wanted to mediate the settlement of the crisis around Ukraine, which is evident from Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s actions, such as calls to President Vladimir Putin, a visit to Moscow and contacts on this issue with the main players.
Regrettably, this is taking place despite the positive experience of our cooperation, when Russia helped Israel deal with extremely delicate matters on numerous occasions…
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