Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has returned from a surprise trip to Russia where he met President Vladimir Putin and discussed the war in Ukraine.
Bennett flew to Moscow on Saturday, where he met the Russian leader at the Kremlin for three hours. The trip was made "in coordination and with the blessing" of the Biden administration as well as Kyiv, according to Bennett's office.
Bennett spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after his meeting with Putin. He then flew to Germany to meet Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
The prime minister landed in Israel on Sunday morning and is expected to convene his cabinet for its weekly meeting later in the day.
Bennett's trip was the latest attempt at diplomacy in the Russia-Ukraine crisis. Israel is one of the few countries that has good working relations with both Russia and Ukraine.
Israel, at the behest of Zelensky, has offered to mediate in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, though officials have previously played down expectations of any breakthrough.
Israel has delivered humanitarian aid to Ukraine, but also maintains ties with Moscow to make sure that Israeli and Russian warplanes do not come into conflict in neighboring Syria.
Bennett's meeting with Putin makes him the first Western leader to meet with the Russian president since Moscow's offensive began last Thursday. The Russian assault is the biggest offensive on a European state since World War II.