PM Netanyahu is mediating between US and Russia to reduce tensions – report

Amid growing tensions, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been trying to mediate between the Trump administration and Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to a report from Kan News.

The report stated that, while some of Netanyahu’s recent phone calls to Putin had been covered by the media, others were held without informing the public, and their contents have remained confidential.

The two leaders spoke with one another on Sunday, the Prime Minister’s Office and Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed, without providing details.

The previous week, the two leaders also held a conversation, with their offices confirming that Syria and Iran were among the topics discussed.

The increased contact between Putin and Netanyahu comes amid a recent deterioration in relations between Russia and the U.S., following U.S. President Donald Trump's expressed frustration with the lack of progress toward a ceasefire in Ukraine.

Several days ago, Trump ordered the deployment of two U.S. submarines close to the Russian coast “based on the highly provocative statements” of former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

Trump also warned that he would impose sanctions if Russia did not agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine before Friday. “There'll be sanctions, but they seem to be pretty good at avoiding sanctions,” he said.

“They’re wily characters and they're pretty good at avoiding sanctions, so we'll see what happens,” he added.

Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, is expected to visit the Kremlin on Wednesday, following a visit to Israel last week.

When asked what Putin could do to avoid sanctions, Trump answered, “Yeah, get a deal where people stop getting killed.”

Putin, for his part, said on Friday that he was in favor of “a lasting and stable peace on solid foundations that would satisfy both Russia and Ukraine, and would ensure the security of both countries.”

During his years in office, Netanyahu has maintained good relations with Putin, putting Israel in an awkward diplomatic position when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.

It remains unclear whether the United States has reached out to Netanyahu with a request to mediate or whether this is an Israeli initiative.

The war in Ukraine and the ensuing strategic alliance with Iran have markedly tempered the once-good relations with Russia.

Israel initially tried to remain as neutral as possible while offering non-military support for Ukraine. During his short tenure as Israeli prime minister, Naftali Bennett attempted to mediate between the countries, but to no avail.

However, Russia’s alliance with Iran kept intensifying while the relations with Israel further deteriorated due to Russia’s strong criticism of Israel over the war in Gaza.

One Israeli leader who has long warned against this development is Gideon Sa’ar, who became foreign minister last year.

Last month, Sa’ar visited Ukraine in a high-profile visit that could signal a deliberate decision by the Israeli government to take a side and support Ukraine.

The visit marks the highest-profile visit of an Israeli representative to Ukraine since Oct. 7, 2023.

During a press conference with his Ukrainian colleague, Sa’ar condemned the “Russian attacks on civilians,” calling for “a stable and sustainable peace that ensures Ukraine’s security.”