Zelensky explained why Israel was not included in his Middle Eastern itinerary

On March 30, 2026, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky explained why Israel was not included in his recent Middle East trip itinerary. For the Israeli audience, this answer is important not only as a diplomatic detail but also as a signal of how Kyiv is currently establishing real contacts in terms of security, air defense, and countering Iranian drones.

It is not about a demonstrative refusal to visit or a public political slap. According to Zelensky, the logic of his trips was built around already prepared negotiations: first, there were contacts with the leaders of the region’s countries, then Ukrainian expert groups worked, and only after that were full-fledged visits at the presidential level formed.

Why Israel was not in Zelensky’s itinerary

During an online interaction with journalists on March 30, Zelensky was directly asked whether the absence of Israel in his itinerary was related to the Israeli side’s position or if the reason was something else. The answer was quite specific and, in essence, technical.

The Ukrainian president explained that his trips to Middle Eastern countries were not spontaneous. First, Ukraine discussed practical topics with regional leaders, including protection against Iranian drones and Ukrainian experience in countering such threats. Then expert groups were sent to these countries to prepare the substantive basis for further contacts. And only after that did agreements on personal meetings appear.

“After the expertise was prepared, I met with the leaders, and agreements were already prepared, the basis for our communication with the leaders,” he added. “With Israel, I had no contact either by phone or at the expert level.”

That is why, as Zelensky made clear, the situation with Israel looked different. He emphasized that there was neither a phone conversation nor a separate expert track between him and the Israeli side, which usually precedes a visit. So the issue, according to his words, was not in a gesture but in the absence of a pre-prepared basis for negotiations.

What exactly Zelensky said

The essence of his position boiled down to a simple formula: first expert preparation, then a political meeting. Without this preliminary work, the visit does not turn into an effective negotiation mechanism, especially when it comes to such a sensitive topic as regional security and defense.

For Israel, there is an important nuance here. Kyiv clearly shows that it is now trying to build Middle Eastern contacts through a practical agenda — air defense, drones, defense cooperation, experience exchange. This is not symbolic diplomacy for the sake of a photo but an attempt to establish specific formats of interaction.

What is known about contacts between Kyiv and Jerusalem

At the same time, it cannot be said that the topic of dialogue between Ukraine and Israel was completely absent in recent weeks.

As early as March 14, the Israeli publication Ynet wrote that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu initiated talks with Zelensky. According to the publication, the request concerned possible cooperation in the field of air defense.

Later, Ukraine’s ambassador to Israel, Yevgen Korniychuk, confirmed to journalists that such a request had indeed been made. He noted that the conversation had not yet taken place due to scheduling issues but expressed hope that the contact would occur at the beginning of the following week. Zelensky himself publicly indicated that he was ready for such a dialogue.

Against this backdrop, today’s explanation looks particularly indicative. Formally, there was interest in contact. But, based on the words of the President of Ukraine, it has not yet reached the level of systematic preparation — phone negotiations, expert exchange, an agreed basis for a visit.

In the Israeli political and expert community, this will surely be read carefully. Because Zelensky’s formula sounds almost like a diplomatically soft but quite clear message: if the parties want a serious conversation, it must be prepared, not just announced through the press.

Why the topic of Iranian drones is key here

It is of particular significance that Zelensky directly linked his regional contacts with the topic of protection against Iranian drones.

For Israel, this is not an abstract or external issue. The threat posed by Iranian technologies, proxy structures, and Tehran-related military decisions has long been considered one of the central issues in Jerusalem.

Ukraine, in turn, has already gained heavy and very practical experience in countering Iranian Shahed drones. Therefore, Kyiv today is trying to sell not just political arguments but its own military expertise, developed under real war conditions. It is in this area that the Ukrainian and Israeli agendas objectively intersect.

It is no coincidence that in the middle of this conversation, the broader question is increasingly being raised: why, given such an obvious common threat, are contacts between Kyiv and Jerusalem still moving slower than they could be. NANews — Israel News | Nikk.Agency has repeatedly pointed out that the topic of Iranian drones has long become a common point of concern for both Ukraine and Israel, meaning the diplomatic pause here looks less like a strategy and more like an underdeveloped opportunity.

Which countries Zelensky visited

In recent days, Zelensky visited Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, and Jordan. According to him and official reports, security and defense issues were primarily discussed with these countries.

With the United Arab Emirates, the Ukrainian side talked about cooperation in the field of security and defense. With Qatar, an agreement was reached on a ten-year partnership in the defense sector. With Jordan, the possible development of partnership in the field of security was discussed.

This in itself shows that Zelensky’s Middle Eastern tour had a quite pragmatic architecture. It was built around countries where, by the time of the trip, prepared frameworks for conversation already existed and, apparently, a more understandable diplomatic schedule.

What this means for Israel

For the Israeli audience, the main takeaway here is not that Ukraine “bypassed” Israel, but that the communication channel has not yet been brought to the necessary stage.

This is an unpleasant but important point. Especially against the backdrop of constant talks about shared interests in countering Iran.

If there is indeed a request for closer cooperation between Kyiv and Jerusalem, especially in the field of air defense, warning of air attacks, interception technologies, and drone threat analysis, then the next stage is obvious: not an exchange of leaks and hopes, but normal working preparation of contacts.

Zelensky, in essence, said just that with his answer. Without a phone conversation, without an expert level, without a pre-prepared basis, the visit does not appear by itself. So the question now is not why he did not come to Israel this time, but whether both sides are finally ready to bring the contact to a level where such a visit becomes not news for the sake of a headline, but part of serious regional security.

Israel and Ukraine have come too close to a common Iranian threat to allow this topic to remain in limbo. And that is why Zelensky’s current explanation should be seen not as a closed door, but as a rather transparent hint: the door is open, but no one has yet properly approached it.