Ukraine accuses Israel of aiding Russian trade in stolen grain
Jerusalem (CNN) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Israel of knowingly allowing grain stolen by Russia to be unloaded at Israeli ports, threatening to impose sanctions on anyone involved in the shipments, which Kyiv says have continued despite multiple appeals to Israeli officials.
Zelensky’s warning Tuesday reflects a deepening rift between the two countries, brought to a head by the arrival in Israeli waters of a vessel named Panormitis, which entered Haifa Bay last week and is currently anchored offshore, apparently awaiting a berth. Ukraine says the ship is carrying wheat stolen from occupied Ukrainian territories and would be the second such shipment to dock and unload in Haifa this month.
“In any normal country, purchasing stolen goods is an act that entails legal liability. This applies, in particular, to grain stolen by Russia,” Zelensky wrote on X. “This is not – and cannot be – legitimate business. The Israeli authorities cannot be unaware of which ships are arriving at the country’s ports and what cargo they are carrying.”
In a series of forceful pushbacks, Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar accused Ukraine of engaging in “Twitter diplomacy,” saying it had not submitted evidence for its claim the grain was stolen. He also underlined that the contentious Panormitis vessel had not yet docked in Haifa, adding that Israeli tax authorities were now examining the matter.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than four years ago, Kyiv has consistently accused Moscow of the systematic looting of its agricultural resources – the true origin of which it says is hidden when the stolen grain is sold on world markets.
According to an investigative report in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, at least four shipments of illegal grain have docked in Israel this year. The report added that such deliveries have been ongoing since 2023, with the total number reaching over 30.
Following the Haaretz report and the arrival of the Panormitis, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha on Tuesday summoned the Israeli ambassador in Kyiv to protest what he called “Israel’s lack of appropriate response,” adding that it “harmed bilateral relations.”
An Israeli official, speaking with CNN on condition of anonymity, said Israel cannot seize the shipments without due process, noting there is an “established mutual legal assistance protocol” according to which Ukraine’s attorney general would need to submit a legal aid request, supply evidence and coordinate with Israeli police to halt the vessel.
A Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman rejected that assertion, telling CNN during a press briefing in Kyiv Tuesday that Ukraine had “exhausted all closed channels and official diplomatic requests.”
The spokesman added Israel was not alone in importing illegal grain, saying Ukraine saw evidence of a “systematic practice” showing the “deliberate facilitation of illegal economic activity” linked to Russia’s occupation of parts of Ukraine.
The European Union also weighed in, requesting additional information from Israeli authorities on the matter and warning it may impose sanctions on those involved as well.
“We condemn all actions that help fund Russia’s illegal war effort and circumvent EU sanctions and remain ready to target such actions by listing individuals and entities in third countries if necessary,” an EU spokesman told CNN.
Israel-Ukraine relations have been persistently tense since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. Israeli leaders have sought to keep channels open with both Kyiv and Moscow, limiting military assistance to Ukraine mainly to non-lethal humanitarian aid, and rejecting pressure to transfer Israeli-made weapons systems and arms to Kyiv.
More recently, Ukraine has positioned itself as a regional security provider in the Middle East, offering partnerships and expertise in drone defense in particular, after Israel and the United States launched their war on Iran.
Zelensky himself visited Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Jordan last month, but did not make a stop in Israel.
Victora Butenko and Kosta Gak contributed reporting from Kyiv
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