MOSCOW, February 27. /TASS/. Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett in a phone conversation on Sunday offered Russian President Vladimir Putin mediation on Ukraine, the Kremlin press service said.
"In his turn, Naftali Bennett offered Israel’s mediation services in order to stop military actions," the statement said.
The Kremlin noted that Putin briefed Bennett on the special military operation to defend Donbass. "It was also stated that the Russian delegation is in the Belarusian city of Gomel and is ready for talks with Kiev’s representatives, who have shown an inconsistent approach so far and have not yet used this opportunity," the statement reads.
The phone conversation was held at Israel’s initiative. The sides agreed to continue bilateral contacts at different levels.
Earlier on Sunday, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced that the Russian delegation had arrived in Belarus for talks with Ukraine. The delegation consists of representatives of the Foreign Ministry, the Defense Ministry and other agencies, including the presidential administration. Presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, who leads the delegation in Gomel, said Moscow was expecting an answer until 15:00 Minsk Time (coincides with Moscow Time).
On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a televised address that in response to a request by the heads of the Donbass republics he had made a decision to carry out a special military operation in order to protect people "who have been suffering from abuse and genocide by the Kiev regime for eight years." The Russian leader stressed that Moscow had no plans of occupying Ukrainian territories. Its objective is demilitarization and denazification of the country.
When clarifying the unfolding developments, the Russian Defense Ministry reassured that Russian troops are not targeting Ukrainian cities, but are limited to surgically striking and incapacitating Ukrainian military infrastructure. There are no threats whatsoever to the civilian population.