Ukraine accuses Israel of importing grain ‘stolen’ by Russia

Key Points:

• Ukraine accused Israel of allowing the import of grain stolen by Russia from occupied Ukrainian territories, with President Zelenskyy warning of sanctions against those involved in the trade.
• Israel denied that the vessel carrying the grain had entered Haifa port or submitted documents, though tracking data indicated the ship had been docked there for several days.
• Zelenskyy called the trade illegal and said Ukraine’s intelligence was preparing sanctions, coordinating with European partners to include offenders in European sanctions regimes.
• Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar dismissed Zelenskyy’s accusations as “Twitter diplomacy,” stating Ukraine had not provided sufficient evidence or requested legal assistance.
• Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry summoned Israel’s ambassador to protest the ongoing shipments, accusing Israel of ignoring formal requests to detain vessels carrying illegally sourced grain.