Russia has been trying to negotiate with Ukraine and is very grateful for Israel's help in acting as a mediator, Russia's Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev said in an interview with Al Jazeera.
Medvedev cited both Israel and Turkey for playing key roles in trying to mediate between the two countries. However, he lamented that this was a failure, putting the blame entirely on Ukraine.
"Mediation is valuable not because there is simply an intermediary [but] because there is a platform for negotiations, and parties demonstrate a desire to negotiate," he told Al Jazeera, according to TASS, but added that Ukraine prefers to continue fighting.
Background
Ukraine asked Israel for help with Russia since the invasion began.
"We are looking more for the Israeli diplomatic effort, as an intermediary," Ukraine's Ambassador to Israel Yevgen Korniychuk said at the time. "We always look to Israel as one of the most prominent possible intermediaries for [Russian President Vladimir] Putin."
This is due in part to the fact that Israel has close ties with both Russia and Ukraine, and thus is in a position where it can act as a mediator.
These efforts have included Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett having several phone conversations with both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Bennett even went to Russia to meet with Putin to try and discuss mediations.
Israel's efforts have not gone unnoticed, with the US voicing their appreciation of the Israeli push to stop the war as well as other humanitarian aid efforts, such as opening a field hospital.
Lahav Harkov and Tovah Lazaroff contributed to this report.