Israel Foreign Minister Eli Cohen on first Ukraine visit since Russia invasion

Foreign Minister Eli Cohen arrived in Kyiv on Thursday on the first visit to Ukraine by an Israeli minister since the Russian invasion nearly a year ago, his office said.

Cohen "will make an official visit today to Kyiv, during which he will meet President (Volodymyr) Zelensky and Foreign Minister (Dmytr) Kuleba," the Israeli foreign ministry said in a statement after his arrival in the Ukrainian capital.

Israel has ties with both Russia and Ukraine, which have been tested since Moscow's invasion of its neighbour. 

Israel provided Ukraine with intelligence to tackle Iran-made drones deployed by Russia, but has employed a wary approach to Moscow due Russia's military activity in Syria, where Israel has carried out hundreds of air strikes since civil war broke out in 2011.

Israel has also emphasised its special ties with Moscow, as more than a million Israeli citizens have origins in the former Soviet Union, mostly from Russia.

During his visit, the foreign minister is due to fully reopen the Israeli embassy in Kyiv.

The diplomatic mission "will return to continuous activity, with the aim of strengthening relations between the countries," Cohen said in a statement.

Israel has sent humanitarian aid to Ukraine during the conflict but has stopped short of delivering weapons.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said earlier this month he was "certainly looking into" military aid for Ukraine, in an interview with CNN.

The Kremlin has warned further supplies of weapons to Ukraine will lead to an escalation of the conflict.