MOSCOW, December 22. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin held a phone conversation with Benjamin Netanyahu, the leader of the Likud party, which won Israel’s parliamentary elections, the Kremlin press service reported on Thursday.

"The pressing issues of the bilateral agenda and the international situation were discussed. Mutual confidence was expressed that Russian-Israeli relations would continue to gradually develop while interaction at various levels would be maintained," its statement said.

The Kremlin noted that Putin also wished Netanyahu and all Israelis a happy Hannukah.

Earlier on Thursday, Israel’s Channel 13 also reported on this conversation. According to the TV channel, Putin congratulated Netanyahu on his party’s victory in the parliamentary elections and on completing the formation of his cabinet. Additionally, according to this news outlet, the two leaders discussed a number of issues, with the Ukrainian conflict being the central one. However, the Kremlin did not provide such details.

Israel held its parliamentary elections on November 1, which became the country’s fifth elections since 2019. In all, a bloc of right-wing and religious forces led by Netanyahu’s party won 64 seats out of 120. After weeks of complex negotiations with his coalition partners, Netanyahu concluded a deal on forming Israel’s new government.

Putin has never held phone conversations with Israel’s previous Prime Minister Yair Lapid. The last time he spoke to his predecessor Naftali Bennett was in May 2022. In August, Putin held a phone conversation with Israeli President Isaac Herzog.

Netanyahu and Putin last spoke in May 2021, one month before he stepped down as Israel’s prime minister.