Ukraine summons Israeli ambassador to foreign ministry over ‘stolen’ grain shipments

KYIV, April 27 (Reuters) – Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on Monday that Israel’s ambassador had been summoned to his ministry over what he described as Israeli inaction in allowing shipments of grain to enter the country from Russian-occupied Ukraine.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar told Sybiha that Ukraine had provided no evidence to support allegations that the grain was “stolen”. He accused him of conducting diplomacy through the media.

Israel’s Haaretz newspaper reported earlier that the vessel Panormitis, which it said was carrying grain from occupied Ukrainian territory, was waiting for permission to berth in Haifa.

The newspaper said four shipments of grain from occupied Ukraine had already been unloaded in Israel this year.

Sybiha, writing in English on the X social media platform, said it was “difficult to understand Israel’s lack of appropriate response to Ukraine’s legitimate request regarding the previous vessel that delivered stolen goods to Haifa”.

“Now that another such vessel has arrived in Haifa, we once again warn Israel against accepting the stolen grain and harming our relations,” he wrote.

Israel’s ambassador, he said, had been asked to appear at the foreign ministry on Tuesday so that Kyiv could “present our protest note and request appropriate action”.

In his response, also on X, Sa’ar said the issue would be examined, but that allegations were not evidence and no evidence had been provided.

“You did not even submit a request for legal assistance before turning to the media and social networks,” Sa’ar said.

Diplomatic relations “are not conducted on Twitter or in the media”, he added.

A Ukrainian diplomatic source, speaking earlier on condition of anonymity, said that if Israel did not reject the latest cargo, Kyiv would “reserve the right to deploy a full suite of diplomatic and international legal responses”.

The source said Kyiv was tracking the latest vessel and Israel had “essentially shrugged off” Kyiv’s previous demands.

(Reporting by Max HunderAdditional reporting by Alexander Cornwell in JerusalemEditing by Ros Russell, Ron Popeski and Lincoln Feast)