The administration of Joe Biden last week turned to the Israeli government with a request to consider the issue of increasing military assistance to Ukraine, Axios reports citing officials of the United States and Israel.
Israel still rejected Ukraine’s requests for modern weapons and only last month agreed to send thousands of helmets and bulletproof vests for medical brigades and quick response services. But since Israel publicly occupies a more critical position in relation to Russia, this signals that it is more and more open to the supply of Ukraine of certain non -lethal military equipment.
Last week, Israel sent Drora Shalom, the head of the Military-Political Bureau of the Ministry of Defense, at the Ramstein air base in Germany for a meeting under the leadership of the United States on the issue of sending weapons to Ukraine.
Biden’s administration made it clear to the Israelis that the United States understands their difficult situation with Russia and appreciates what they have already done in terms of assistance to Ukraine, but they hope that they can do more in providing military equipment, American and Israeli officials said.
This message was made during the meeting of the White Security Council for National Security Jake Sullivan and his Israeli colleague Eyal Hulata in the White House last week, as well as during negotiations between the Pentagon and the Israeli Ministry of Defense.
A senior Israeli official said that the Israeli government is considering the possibility of increasing military assistance to Ukraine and will probably do this as the war continued. But he emphasized that Israel will provide only non -lethal military equipment.
A senior Ukrainian official said that Ukraine does not expect Israel to provide it with deadly weapons, but wants to use some previously existing export licenses from the Israeli Ministry of Defense for Communication and Protection Protection Systems.