Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelensky has said he wants his country to become a “greater Israel with its own identity” after the Russian invasion ends, and emphasized that security will probably be the main problem in Ukraine during the post-war period.
In comments to local media published on the president's official website on Tuesday, Zelensky emphasized that his vision for the future post-conflict of Ukraine included having armed forces in “all institutions, supermarkets, cinemas, there will be people with weapons.”
In Israel, images of armed civilians, settlers and soldiers are common, and the government often invokes security. Zelensky, who is Jewish, has repeatedly stressed the importance of maintaining close ties with Israel, which he hailed as a model for Ukraine.
“I am sure that our security problem will be number one in the next 10 years,” Zelensky said, dismissing the idea that post-war Ukraine would model a European liberal democracy like Switzerland. He said that the Ukrainian people “will be a great army”.
But your country will not be “absolutely liberal, European”, it would have to undertake a different modus operandi. “Ukraine will definitely not be what we wanted it to be from the beginning. It's impossible,” he told members of Ukrainian media during a briefing.
“Absolutely liberal, European, it won't be like that. [Ukraine] will definitely come from the strength of every house, every building, every person.” He emphasized that Ukraine would not fall into authoritarianism. “An authoritarian state would lose to Russia. People know what they're fighting for,” he said.
Despite his ties to Israel, Zelensky, however, has criticized the government's uncomfortable position on the Russian war against his country. After maintaining a relatively calm position on the invasion, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett issued a statement condemning the alleged atrocities in Bucha, near Kiev.
The president told reporters on Tuesday that he was shocked by the appalling images that emerged from Bucha, but failed to accuse Russian forces of committing alleged war crimes or holding Moscow responsible.
“We are, of course, shocked by the harsh scenes in Bucha. Terrible images, and we strongly condemn them,” he said. “The suffering of the citizens of Ukraine is enormous and we are doing everything we can to help.”
Israel has become a mediator in efforts to end the war, given its good relations with both Ukraine and Russia. In an effort to preserve his relationship with Vladimir Putin, Bennett has measured himself in his criticism of the Russian president. On the other hand, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid has expressed his harshest condemnation of Russia's actions in Ukraine.
Bennett referred reporters to comments made by Lapid, who called civilian deaths in Bucha a war crime.
“The images and testimonies of Ukraine are horrible, Russian forces committed war crimes against a defenseless civilian population. I strongly condemn these war crimes,” Lapid said in a statement.
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