Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky has just publicly boasted about a letter from war criminal Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu. And a key reason for this may be that Zelensky’s strategy of trying to link Ukraine to the US-Israeli war on Iran is finally paying off.

I received warm congratulations for the people of Ukraine from Prime Minister @netanyahu of Israel. Our countries share deep bonds – between our people in the first place, but also in the economy, culture, and other areas. It is therefore good to hear of Israel’s desire to… pic.twitter.com/WjhLg37ai6

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 26, 2026

Over the years, Netanyahu developed very close links with Russian leader Vladimir Putin. Israel is home to many immigrants from Russia. Many of its politicians speak Russian, as do many in its high-tech sector. And Netanyahu even prioritised boosting ties with Russia at one point.

Israel can also relate to Russia’s occupation of Ukrainian land as an occupying force itself. And it didn’t want to join international sanctions on Russia in part because it fears being on the wrong end of such sanctions itself. So it didn’t embrace Ukraine as wholeheartedly as its Western allies did after Russia invaded in 2022.

The Israeli-Russian relationship has gradually declined, however, amid Israel’s genocide in Gaza and escalation of hostilities across the Middle East, and Iran in particular.

For his part, Zelensky has struggled with Donald Trump. While he has been trying to extend his shelf-life, Trump has been deprioritising the Ukraine’s war. Instead, its been increasing aggression in Latin America, and focusing more on Israel’s imperial regional ambitions. But linking Ukraine somehow to the Middle East (where a big chunk of Trump’s focus lies) could be changing that.

Zelensky jumping on the Iran bandwagon?

There have been increasing calls for elections in Ukraine, which Zelensky has refused. And although European countries (and particularly the UK) are still firmly behind him, he also faces pressure to pass some reforms to unlock money. So he’s looking for breakthroughs wherever he can find them at the moment.

Early in Russia’s war against Ukraine, Zelensky said he’d like Ukraine to model itself as “a big Israel”. And the US-Israeli war on Iran has given him a big chance to pander to the colonial powers. He quickly praised the illegal attacks, argued that Russia was helping Iran, and started showing Middle Eastern regimes how to resist Iranian retaliation.

In the boldest cry for attention yet, Ukraine attacked an Iranian ship in the Caspian Sea without provocation. It argued this was fair because Iran has supplied Russia with weaponry. But Iran’s foreign minister promptly asserted that:

what the freeloader in Kyiv [Zelenskyy] did CANNOT GO UNANSWERED

It was in this environment that he received Netanyahu’s letter. Despite the genocide Netanyahu has overseen in Gaza, along with a litany of other heinous crimes, Zelensky could hardly hide his excitement about “working fruitfully” with the apartheid state. Of course this didn’t go down well online:

So Russias occupation of Crimea = Bad

But Israel’s occupation of West Bank, East J and Gaza = “shared values, deep bonds between our people etc”…

Not a good look here @ZelenskyyUa

— Maximilian (@m4xim1l1an) August 27, 2026

Israel is to Gaza what Russia is to Ukraine. Fuck Israel

— SM (@youblewmycover) August 26, 2026

You cry everyday about Russia attacking you, but you flex a letter from someone accused of genocide? Something doesn’t add up.

— Tatuco (@tatuqo) August 26, 2026

I knew you were wrongun. Collaborating with a genocidal maniac just confirms that.

— Sharon (@K4rmaRules) August 27, 2026

Given you want and need the world’s compassion and support, your affair with those genocidal fucks is imbecillic.

But hey, if you want the world to know you share values with genocidaires, you’re free to do it.

— Miłosz Wojtala (@milosz_wojtala) August 26, 2026

Considering the UK’s 100-year commitment to Ukraine, which gives Britain special access to battlefield data and justifies regular injections of massive funding for Ukraine, it seems unlikely that Westminster will let Zelensky’s budding relationship with war criminal Netanyahu change anything. But many people absolutely think it should:

As long as Ukraine is associating with these genocidal war criminals they should receive absolutely nothing from the EU and certainly Ireland. No money, no military support, nothing. No point complaining about Russia while championing Israel

— Roibeard Breathnach (@rfwalsh86) August 26, 2026

If apartheid, genocide, ethnic cleansing, illegal invasions and annexation of other countries isn’t a red line for you, then you deserve support from no-one.

— Niamh Ní Cheallaigh (@CheallaighNiamh) August 26, 2026

A lot of people have lost sympathy for you since you joined Netanyahu at the hip. Read the room, his government is despised around the world, and tying yourself to it is costing you support bro.

— Regal (@regalvalence) August 26, 2026

If you were still at all unsure about who Zelensky is, though, at least it’s crystal clear now.

Featured image via the Canary

By Ed Sykes

From Canary via This RSS Feed.