Russian President Vladimir Putin. Photo: Alexei Nikolsky/TASS via Getty Images
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett told Russian President Vladimir Putin in a phone call Sunday he would offer to mediate and broker a ceasefire between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the Kremlin said.
Why it matters: The call came two days after Zelensky called Bennett and asked him for a mediation following Russia's unprovoked attack on Ukraine. Zelensky's request was published first on Israel's public broadcaster Kan.
Driving the news: The Kremlin said in a statement that Putin and Bennett discussed the situation in Ukraine during their phone call, which was initiated by the Israeli side.
An Israeli official said Bennett told Putin he is concerned about the situation in Ukraine and the possibility the fighting will escalate and lead to grave humanitarian damage.
Flashback: Last October, in a meeting in Sochi, Bennett had proposed to Putin to hold a Russia-Ukraine summit in Jerusalem. Putin at the time wasn't at all enthusiastic and harshly criticized Zelensky.
Go deeper: The latest on the Russian invasion of Ukraine