Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett believes that the conflict in Ukraine arose because of the intention of the Kyiv authorities to join NATO. Bennett's interview is posted on his YouTube channel.

The ex-Prime Minister of Israel, who acted as an intermediary between Russia and Ukraine at the beginning of the special military operation, noted that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was ready to abandon the idea of joining the North Atlantic Alliance at the initial stage of the special operation.

“This war happened because of the desire of Kyiv to join NATO, and here Zelensky says:“ I refuse this idea, ”said Bennett.

However, he added, the talks between Moscow and Kyiv were thwarted by Western countries.

On February 24, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that he had decided to conduct a military special operation in Ukraine in response to a request for help from the heads of the Lugansk and Donetsk People's Republics (LPR and DPR).

The decision to conduct the operation was the reason for new sanctions against Russia by the United States and its allies.

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