Ambassador of Ukraine left the event in Israel due to the presence of the Russian diplomat.

According to ТСН: The Ambassador of Ukraine in Israel, Yevhen Korniychuk, left the diplomatic event near the Western Wall in Jerusalem earlier than planned.

This incident occurred during the ceremony of lighting the Hanukkah candle, organized by Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar. The event was dedicated to the tragedy of the Jewish community in Sydney, which resulted in the deaths of 15 people.

Reasons for leaving the event

Korniychuk decided to leave after noticing the Russian Ambassador to Israel, Anatoly Viktorov, among those present. The Ukrainian diplomat noted that he had not been informed in advance about his participation.

Representatives from various countries were invited to the ceremony, but only 28 diplomats actually arrived, of which 17 were ambassadors and 11 were deputies or heads of diplomatic missions. Notably, no representative from European Union countries attended, except for the Czech ambassador.

Refusal to take a joint photo

Korniychuk did not wait for the joint photo with Israel's Foreign Minister, who was also accompanied by the Russian ambassador, and left the event before its conclusion.

“They should have informed us in advance about the presence of the Russian ambassador. We would not have invited an Israeli representative to an event with Iranians in Kyiv,” said the Ukrainian diplomat.

It was previously reported that the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Korniychuk for an official reprimand due to his comments regarding Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's statements about frequent contacts with the Russian dictator Putin.

It was also noted that thousands of Ukrainians in Israel are at risk of deportation because the government is delaying the extension of protection status for refugees.

This incident draws attention to the strained relations between Ukraine and Russia, especially in the context of international meetings and official events. Such cases can negatively affect diplomatic relations and the safety of Ukrainian citizens abroad.