Bennett spoke about Putin’s promise not to kill Zelensky

Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said that Russian President Vladimir Putin promised not to kill Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Such a word, according to the politician, he gave at a meeting in Moscow in early March last year.

Putin and Bennett held talks in the Kremlin on March 5, 2022, after the start of a special military operation in Ukraine. Then it was reported that the parties do not plan to make statements to the media following the meeting.

“I knew that Zelensky was under threat, in a bunker… I said [Путину]: “Are you going to kill Zelensky?” He said: “I will not kill Zelensky,” said Bennett in an interview with Channel 12 (quoted by Times of Israel).

According to the former Israeli prime minister, he asked Putin if he was giving his word that he would not eliminate Zelensky. In response, the Russian president, according to Bennett, repeated that he would not do this, and also “agreed not to insist on the disarmament of Kyiv.”

After a three-hour meeting with the Russian leader, Bennet called Zelensky and relayed Putin’s words.

“[Зеленский] asked me: “Are you sure?” I answered 100 percent. [Путин] is not going to kill you,” said Bennett. He added that two hours later, the Ukrainian president “went to his office and took a selfie there, saying, ‘I’m not afraid.’

Russia’s special operation in Ukraine began on February 24, 2022. Putin called its goals the protection of the inhabitants of Donbass, as well as the demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine. During the special operation, Russian troops took full control of the LPR, as well as most of the DPR, Kherson and Zaporozhye regions. Subsequently, these territories became part of Russia, and on October 19 martial law was introduced in the regions.