Ukraine recognizes both Israel and Palestine, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in Singapore on June 2, calling for an end to the conflict in Gaza.
Kyiv voiced support for Israel after it came under a deadly attack by the Hamas militant organization in October 2023. Tel Aviv's subsequent shelling and ground invasion of Gaza attracted harsh criticism from much of the international community, with the U.N. estimating the Gaza death toll at over 35,000.
When asked by a journalist about Kyiv's support for Israel, Zelensky stressed that Ukraine also offered to help alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and said that the two periods should "not be mixed together."
"Ukraine said that if Hamas terrorists attacked civilians on the first day of their attack on Israel, then Israel has the right to defend itself," Zelensky said during the Shangri-La Dialogue conference.
"And after that, when Israel was in Gaza and there was a humanitarian crisis, Ukraine said: Firstly, we are ready to provide humanitarian aid to Gaza.
"Secondly, we must respect international law. Thirdly, Ukraine recognizes two states, both Israel and Palestine, and will do everything it can to convince Israel to stop, to end this conflict and prevent the suffering of civilians."
The president also said that Ukraine is a "just country that recognizes international laws and the U.N. charter."
Ukraine invited both Israel and Palestine to the upcoming global peace summit in Switzerland as Kyiv is "ready to hear every opinion" of other countries, except for Russia, Zelensky noted.
The peace summit will be held on June 15-16 in the Burgenstock resort in Switzerland.
Ukraine hopes the summit will address several key areas, such as energy security, the exchange of captives, the return of deported children, global food security, and other topics.
Anastasiia Lapatina
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