China News Service, March 21. According to Agence France-Presse, on the 20th local time, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky suggested Jerusalem, Israel, as the venue for his peace talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
It was Zelensky's latest attempt to push for a meeting with Putin.
FILE PHOTO: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
According to reports, in a video posted on Telegram on the evening of the 20th, Zelensky thanked Israeli Prime Minister Bennett for his efforts to facilitate the talks.
He said: "We appreciate ... all his efforts. Sooner or later we can start a dialogue with Russia, maybe in Jerusalem."
"This is the right place to find peace, if that's possible," he added.
Since Russia's special military operation against Ukraine, Bennett has been trying to defuse the crisis through diplomatic efforts.
In addition to regular conference calls with Zelensky and Putin, Bennett held a three-hour meeting with Putin in the Kremlin on March 5.
The report also said that Bennett emphasized Israel's close ties with Moscow and Kyiv and sought to maintain delicate security cooperation with Russia.
Earlier, according to a report by the Independent Ukrainian News Agency on the 12th, Zelensky told the media on the same day that Jerusalem, Israel, could become a negotiating place between Ukraine and Russia.
Zelensky was positive about the Israeli prime minister as a mediator of the conflict, "because Israel is a country with a long history and many similarities with Ukraine."