Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met in Riga, Latvia, on Monday in discussions that had the top U.S. diplomat commending Israel’s diplomatic endeavors on the Russia-Ukraine front.
“We appreciate all efforts by friends and allies to look for a diplomatic resolution,” said Blinken. “Unfortunately, Russia chose not to pursue the path of diplomacy; it chose aggression, and now we have to all contend with that.”
Unlike most other Western countries, Israel has maintained open lines of communication with Putin while also supporting Ukraine during the Russian onslaught.
Lapid said that Israel “is totally committed to doing everything possible to stop the war in Ukraine. We have condemned the Russian invasion, and we still do, and Israel is a partner in the global effort to make sure and clarify that this war must be stopped.”