MESOP MIDEAST WATCH INTERESTING! : Israel Arming Ukraine Would ‘Destroy’ Relations With Russia, Ex-president Medvedev Warns

‘It would be a very reckless step,’ Medvedev wrote in a Telegram post. On Thursday, an anonymous senior Ukrainian official said that Israel was providing Ukraine with intel on Iranian drones being deployed by Russia Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council, Haaretz Oct 17, 2022 1:22

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev warned Israel on Monday that supplying military equipment to Ukraine would “destroy the political relations between the two countries.”

Medvedev, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, added in his Telegram post that Israel arming Kyiv “would be a very reckless step.”

An Israeli official told Haaretz that they believe Medvedev’s remarks came after Diaspora Minister Nachman Shai urged Israel to send military equipment to Ukraine on Sunday.

Shai twitted that “Iran is supplying ballistic missile to Russia. The doubts about where Israel should stand in this bloody conflict are over. There is no room to be self-righteous anymore. The time has come that we provide Ukraine with military aid as the U.S. and NATO do.”

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Ukraine has sought to buy Israeli aerial defense systems on numerous occasions since the start of the war, but Israel has thus far officially declined to provide them out of fear of provoking Russia into obstructing Israeli airstrikes in Syria.

However, an anonymous senior Ukrainian official said on Thursday that Israel was sharing basic intelligence on Iranian-made drones, which Russia has begun to deploy in its onslaught on Ukrainian cities, adding that a private Israeli firm was “providing Ukraine with satellite imagery of Russian troop positions.”

Earlier on Monday, Russia launched a deadly attack on Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, using suicide drones One woman was killed in the attack and three others were taken to hospital as at least 18 civilians were rescued from the rubble of an apartment building, according to Ukrainian officials.

At the same time, the European Union is due on Monday to greenlight a military training mission in Europe for thousands of Ukrainian troops and provide around half a billion euros (dollars) in extra funds to help buy weapons for the war-torn country.

The aim is to train some 15,000 Ukrainian troops, chiefly in Poland and Germany. It would range from standard military training to specialized instruction, based on Ukraine’s needs. It’s hoped that the mission will be up and running by mid-November.

Several EU and NATO nations are already training Ukraine’s armed forces on a bilateral basis. Asked what added value the Brussels-headquartered mission would bring, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said he’s “strongly convinced that putting together the capacities of the European armies we can offer a much better product.”

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.