Khaberni - On Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticized Israel for receiving shipments of Ukrainian grains that he described as "stolen" by Russia.
Zelenskyy said that Israel's purchase of grains from "occupied Ukrainian territories that were stolen" by Russia "cannot be a legitimate act".
Zelenskyy tweeted on the X platform, "Another ship, carrying such grains, arrived at a port in Israel and is preparing to unload its cargo. This is not a legitimate act and cannot be regarded as such."
He added, "The Israeli authorities cannot be unaware of the ships that reach their ports and their cargoes."
The Ukrainian president affirmed that his country is preparing sanctions against individuals and entities involved in purchasing the Ukrainian grains, and mentioned that his office will pressure the European Union to impose sanctions on those involved in what he described as "a criminal scheme".
Zelenskyy stated, "Russia systematically seizes grains from temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories and organizes their export through individuals associated with the occupiers... Such schemes violate the laws of the state of Israel itself."
He added Ukrainians expect Israel to show respect and refrain from any actions that could undermine bilateral relations.
Ukraine is one of the largest grain producers in the world.
The Israeli Ambassador Summoned
On Monday, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga said the ministry summoned the Israeli ambassador to Ukraine, Mikhail Brodsky, due to what he described as Israel’s inaction and permission to receive grain shipments from the Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories.
Sybiga warned of undermining the relations between the sides due to "illegal trade in stolen Ukrainian grains," also criticizing Israel's disregard of previous calls from Ukraine to refrain from receiving ships loaded with stolen grain shipments from its territories.
In contrast, the Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar informed his Ukrainian counterpart Sybiga that Kyiv had not provided any proof of the "theft" of these grains. Saar said on the X platform that the matter would be examined, claiming that "Israel is a state that adheres to the rule of law and has independent law enforcement authorities."
Kyiv considers all grain produced in the four regions claimed by Russia as its own since the war on Ukraine in 2022, and in the Crimea peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014, as stolen by Russia.
Russia refers to these four regions as its "new territories," yet the world still recognizes them as Ukrainian territories.
A Slap in the Face
Earlier on Monday, Israel's Channel 12 reported based on a high-ranking unnamed Ukrainian diplomatic source that the Russian ship "Panormitis" arrived on Sunday at Haifa port, carrying "stolen wheat" from Ukrainian territories controlled by Russia during the ongoing war.
The source affirmed that the Israeli stance was "like a slap in the face, particularly given the measures that Kyiv has taken in favor of Israel, such as designating the Iranian Revolutionary Guard (in February) as a terrorist organization and criminalizing anti-Semitism."
However, the Haaretz newspaper published on Sunday an investigation supported by documents, analyses of maritime traffic data, and satellite images showing that Israel "received and unloaded several Russian ships loaded with grains from Ukraine since the outbreak of the war between the two countries, the latest of which arrived on Sunday morning".
The newspaper quoted two Israeli buyers saying that "the stolen grains from Ukraine are being sold in Israel."
