Middle East Monitor / September 14, 2023
The deputy secretary general of NATO said on Wednesday that Russia’s defeat in Ukraine would be in Israel’s interest, Haaretz has reported. Mircea Geoana told the Israeli newspaper that anything other than a Ukrainian victory against Russia will embolden Iran.
After meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other officials, Geoana told Haaretz that Israel will face greater danger if Russia defeats Ukraine.
“I am here to mark a new beginning in a very robust partnership between NATO and the State of Israel,” said Geoana during his meeting with Netanyahu. “We share many of the concerns that Israel shares. We see authoritarian regimes like Iran and North Korea and Russia posing challenges to our security both in Europe and also in the Middle East. I am here to reconfirm the strong interest that we have in building upon the exceptional technological sophistication of your great nation.”
Geoana concluded by saying that he was “very privileged to be in Israel, a country that we admire, respect, and hope to work even closer with”.
