Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a telephone conversation in which they discussed matters of trade cooperation and joint efforts to combat the coronavirus, according to a 112 Ukraine report on Friday.
The two leaders also discussed the security situation in the Donbass region of Eastern Ukraine, currently embroiled in a conflict between Ukraine and pro-Russian separatists in Donetsk and Luhansk. Zelensky notified Netanyahu that the ceasefire has been largely upheld in the region, with occasional violations.
Zelensky also congratulated Netanyahu on the recent Israel-UAE agreement on normalizing relations between the two countries, which occurred on Thursday and was the first agreement between Israel and Arab country on normalized relations since the 1994 Israel-Jordan peace treaty.
On the topic of coronavirus, the two leaders discussed possible cooperation between Israel and Ukraine, with the latter potentially purchasing vaccines that are currently being tested in Israel.
"Ukraine should be among the friends of Israel who will be the first to join the research and use of the vaccine," Volodymyr Zelensky said.
On the matter of trade, discussions have moved forward between the two countries on Israel's ratification of a free trade agreement, while Zelensky has indicated that the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine is seeking to give recognized state status to the Jewish holidays of Passover, Hanukkah and Rosh Hashanah.