Israel's new Foreign Minister Eli Cohen promised Ukraine continued humanitarian aid, with a focus on restoring energy infrastructure and providing medical equipment, he said after calling Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.
Cohen also said he would fully reopen the Israeli embassy in Kiev within the next 60 days, after the first conversation between the two since the new Israeli government was sworn in late last year.
Cohen may also be planning a trip to Ukraine in the near future, according to Israeli media reports. The Times of Israel reported that Cohen had accepted Kuleba's invitation to travel to Ukraine, though a Foreign Ministry spokesperson did not initially confirm the reports.
No senior Israeli lawmaker has officially visited Ukraine since Moscow's troops invaded the country almost 11 months ago.
Cohen spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the beginning of January, triggering concerns that Israel might be weighing a change of policy.
Cohen also said the government would comment less on the conflict in Ukraine in future.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu maintained a close relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin during his previous terms in office.
Israel has clearly condemned Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine several times but has largely kept a low profile in the war so as not to jeopardize its relations with Moscow and has so far ruled out supplying weapons to Ukraine.
Moscow has significant influence on the situation in Syria, where Israel seeks to prevent arch-enemy Iran and allied militias from expanding their military influence.
