(March 8, 2022 / JNS) Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin for the second time in recent days.

According to the Kremlin, Putin discussed with the Israeli leader Moscow’s assessment of the third round of talks between Russian and Ukrainian officials that took place on Monday. Those talks ended without any significant breakthrough as efforts to establish a humanitarian corridor from Ukrainian cities under attack by Russian forces have faltered.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also said that he spoke with Bennett on Tuesday and thanked him for his diplomatic efforts.

The latest efforts by Israel to mediate the conflict came as U.S. President Joe Biden announced that America would ban all Russian-oil imports, a striking move against Moscow in retaliation for its invasion of Ukraine that will also likely bring extra costs to U.S. residents at the gas pump.

“We will not be part of subsidizing Putin’s war,” declared Biden, calling the new action a “powerful blow” against Russia’s ability to fund the ongoing offensive.

The president said that Americans will see rising prices, but made it a point to say that “defending freedom is going to cost.”