JERUSALEM. Feb 16 (Interfax) - Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen arrived in Kiev on Thursday, he will meet with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky and will announce the reopening of the Israeli embassy in Kiev, the Jerusalem Post said in a report.
"I arrived today for the first visit of an Israeli minister to Kiev since the [beginning of the special operation]. [...] Today, we will raise the Israeli flag at the Israeli embassy in Kiev, which will return to continuous activity with the aim of strengthening relations between the countries," the newspaper quoted Cohen as saying.
Cohen said he was planning to meet with Zelensky, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba and Jewish community members.
The Israeli authorities decided in late February 2022 that the embassy should be moved from Kiev to Lvov.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said earlier in February that he was ready to broker a settlement of the Ukraine situation if there is such a request. He also said that he declined an informal request for mediation in the past, because he was not the prime minister at the time.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken tried to persuade the Israeli authorities in late January into providing both humanitarian and military assistance to Ukraine.
The Israeli authorities said repeatedly that they do not and will not supply weapons, including air defense systems, to Ukraine despite its requests. The Israeli assistance is limited to humanitarian support and the provision of protective equipment and "life-saving means."