Israel, Ukraine announce ‘dialogue’ on countering Iran

KYIV (AFP): Israel and Ukraine said Wednesday they had agreed to start talks on countering the “threat” posed by Iran, in a sign of deepening ties between the two countries.

Both see Iran, a close ally of Russia, as a malign actor on the world stage.

Israel has long accused Iran of developing nuclear weapons, an allegation it denies, while Ukraine is regularly attacked from Russia by Iranian-designed drones.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga described Iran as an “existential threat” to global security during a joint press conference in Kyiv with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar — the most senior Israeli official to visit Ukraine since 2023.

“Our countries face common security challenges. Today we have decided to launch a separate dialogue on the Iranian threat,” Sybiga said.

Saar said any effort to curb Tehran’s access to weapons and technology contributed to the security of Europe and Ukraine.

“I thank President (Volodymyr) Zelensky and the Ukrainian government for its position that Iran must not have nuclear weapons,” he said.

Ukraine has expressed frustration at Israel’s neutral stance on the Russian invasion, but the two share common interests.

Kyiv has long accused Tehran of supplying military hardware to Moscow.

Last month, Israel launched a surprise bombing campaign against Iran with the stated aim of destroying military and nuclear sites, an action that Kyiv supported.