The Ukrainian Ambassador to Israel Yevgen Korniychuk speaks at a news conference, amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, at the Ukrainian Cultural Center in Tel Aviv, Israel, March 11, 2022. Photo: REUTERS/Corinna Kern

i24 News –Ukraine’s envoy to Israel said in an interview on Monday that while he knows Jerusalem to be “one of our biggest supporters,” he is “exhausted” from “begging Israel to change its policy” of possible military aid to the war-torn country.

“Over the past seven months I’ve been begging Israel to change its policy, and I would be happy for that to happen, but I’m not in a position to make decisions,” Ambassador Yevgen Korniychuk told Ynetnews.

His comments came hours after Russia unleashed its biggest attack on Ukraine in recent months, killing at least 11 and wounding dozens more in missile strikes on the capital city of Kyiv.

“We spoke with [Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid]… I don’t know what else needs to happen for Israel to change its policy,” Korniychuk said.

He lamented that, according to embassy surveys, more than 80 percent of Israelis support Ukraine, “but fail to mention military aid because of fear or national security over Russian forces in Syria and all kinds of conspiracy theories that don’t exist.”

According to the Ukrainian envoy, Russia withdrew its entire army from Syria, “including air defense systems,” after it invaded Ukraine on February 24.

“Russia has left a limited number of soldiers there… so there is no threat from Syria, but [Israeli] politicians always use this motive for not making a decision.”

“Why do you forget the thousands of Jews who have suffered in Ukraine since the outbreak of war? The Jewish community in Odesa and Kyiv is suffering,” he continued, noting that Israel was the “only Western country that does not support Ukraine militarily.”