Israel pressured by US to fund ‘strategic materials’ for Ukraine: Report

US officials pressured Israel to offer a deal to supply Ukraine with some “strategic materials,” a new report reveals.

Israel reportedly wants the details of the agreement to remain secret in order to avoid tensions with Moscow.

Citing statements of three senior European diplomatic officials, Israeli newspaper Haaretz revealed on Thursday that the US government contacted Israeli officials several weeks ago to pressure them to supply anti-aircraft batteries to Ukraine. Israel refused to accept the demand, but instead pledged to fund the “strategic materials.”

In the report, it is explained that several million dollars have been transferred to a NATO member state that is heavily involved in the supply of military equipment to Ukraine.

After receiving the money, the government bought the items and sent them to Ukraine. Haaretz sources requested to keep the details and nature of the materials confidential; Israel also asked all parties involved in the agreement not to disclose it publicly because it may anger the Russian government.

Russia warns Israel of retaliation if it supplies military aid to Ukraine

Russia has warned Israel that it will take retaliatory measures against the regime if it supplies Ukraine with military equipment.

Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, has repeatedly asked Israel to supply his country with military weapons, including the Iron Dome air defense system.

Israel, however, has officially refused the request due to some diplomatic relations with Russia and has only sent some military equipment such as helmets and body armor to Kiev.

However, Ukrainian officials told the New York Times last month that Israel is providing intelligence support to its military and that an Israeli company is sending satellite images of Russian military positions to the Zelensky administration.

Meanwhile, Russia’s former President Dmitry Medvedev said recently that Israel would “destroy” all ties with Moscow if Tel Aviv insisted on the “very reckless move” of supplying Ukraine with weapons.

“Israel seems to be going to supply weapons to the Kiev regime; a very reckless move. It will destroy all interstate relations between” Moscow and Tel Aviv, Medvedev said in a Telegram post, adding that Ukraine is praising “Nazi” heroes.

The Israeli regime’s diaspora affairs minister Nachman Shai said on October 17 that the “time has come for Ukraine to receive military aid” from Israel after repeating the accusation that Iran was sending weapons to Russia, despite the firm rejection of such an allegation by Tehran.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky told Channel 12’s “Uvda” in recent weeks that Israel recently agreed to provide his country with radio systems it had requested in February.

Back in April, then-Israeli foreign minister Yair Lapid accused Russia of committing war crimes in Ukraine. Moscow hit back, accusing the regime of using Ukraine to “distract” global attention from its aggression against the Palestinians.

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