Envoy: Ukraine Recognizes Jerusalem as “one and Only Capital of Israel,” Plans to Open Diplomatic Office
Ukrainian President Zelensky: “We know what it’s like not to have our own state. We know what it means to defend one’s own state and land with weapons in hand, at the cost of our own lives.”
Ukraine recognizes Jerusalem as “the one and only capital of Israel” and plans to open an embassy branch in the Holy City in the coming months, the Ukrainian envoy to Israel announced on Thursday.
“My country recognizes the one and only capital of Israel, and that is Jerusalem,” Ukrainian Ambassador Yevhen Korniichuk said. Regarding the establishment of a diplomatic mission in Jerusalem, the envoy added that “[a]s soon as I get permission, I will do it immediately.”
Ambassador “Korniychuk expresses hope embassy branch will be inaugurated next year if security ties expand,” The Times of Israel reported citing the envoy’s remarks.
In October, Israeli President Isaac Herzog visited the former Soviet Republic. Ukrainian President Zelensky is expected to inaugurate the diplomatic office during his reciprocal visits next year.
The Jerusalem Post reported the Ukrainian Ambassador statement:
Ukraine is in the final planning stages before opening a diplomatic office in Jerusalem, Ukrainian Ambassador to Israel Yevhen Korniichuk said on Thursday.
“My country recognizes the one and only capital of Israel, and that is Jerusalem,” Korniichuk said at an event marking 30 years of relations between Ukraine and Israel.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to visit Israel next year and open a branch of the embassy in Jerusalem dedicated to promoting economic and technological cooperation, the ambassador said.
Several countries have recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and open their embassies in the Holy City since President Donald Trump initiate the move in December 2017. The former President was severely criticized by some European governments and mainstream media for the decision. The U.S. announcement was followed by wave of angry protests in cities across Europe and the Middle East.
The Thursday’s announcement comes as Israel is deepening diplomatic, security and economic relations with leading Arab states. This week, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett became the first Israeli leader to visit the United Arab Emirates. The UAE is the third Arab state to fully recognize Israel last year as part of the Abraham Accords, an agreement brokered by President Trump.
The envoy’s announcement comes a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky equated the history of the Jewish State with that of his beleaguered country. “We know what it’s like not to have our own state. We know what it means to defend one’s own state and land with weapons in hand, at the cost of our own lives,” the Ukrainian president told the attendees of the Kyiv Jewish Forum on Wednesday.
Defense and security ties with Israel and other Western allies is a top priority for Kyiv as Moscow threatens to escalate the military conflict on its eastern border, seven years after the annexation of Crimea from the country. The U.S. intelligence agencies fear an imminent Russian invasion as Kremlin deploys close to 100,000 troops on its border with Ukraine.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog visits Ukraine
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Comments
Desperately seeking allies.
But it is the right move nonetheless
But it is the right move nonetheless
Can’t trust the USA
Would the USA even allow other countries to have their embassies anywhere other than Washington? Suppose Israel were to move its embassy to Baltimore; would the USA allow it?
So the real question is why Israel ever allowed foreign embassies to be established in Tel Aviv in the first place. I suppose until ’67 the official reason was safety; most of the Israeli-controlled half of Jerusalem was safe, but in some neighborhoods the Jordanians would occasionally take pot shots at people just for fun. But once that menace had been removed, the Israeli government ought to have given all foreign countries a choice between moving their embassy to the capital or closing it down.