By Elsie Kamsiyochi
A diplomatic dispute has erupted between and Israeli officials after Ukraine accused Israel of allowing grain taken from Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory to enter its ports, escalating tensions between two countries that have generally maintained cautious relations since the war began.
Kyiv has repeatedly argued that any grain harvested from territories occupied by Russia since the 2022 invasion — including parts of eastern and southern Ukraine as well as Crimea, annexed by Moscow in 2014 — should be considered stolen property under international law.
Ukrainian officials say Moscow has been systematically removing agricultural products from occupied farmland and selling them abroad through a network of intermediaries, creating what they describe as a black-market export system that helps finance Russia’s war effort.
President Zelenskyy said another vessel carrying what Ukraine believes to be illegally exported grain had recently approached an Israeli port and was preparing to unload. In a sharply worded statement, he said such cargo could not be treated as legitimate commerce and insisted that Israeli authorities should know the origin of shipments entering the country’s harbours.
Ukraine’s foreign ministry intensified the matter by summoning Israel’s ambassador in Kyiv and delivering a formal protest note, accusing Israel of failing to respond to repeated warnings. Ukrainian officials said they had already provided detailed information about the shipment before taking the issue public and warned that countries facilitating the trade could face consequences.
Israeli Foreign Minister rejected the accusation, saying Ukraine had not presented sufficient evidence through official legal channels. He stated that the vessel in question had not yet completed port procedures and that Israeli authorities could not verify the claim without proper documentation. Saar also criticised what he described as “public diplomacy through social media,” saying Israel would examine any credible evidence submitted through formal mechanisms.
Ukraine’s foreign ministry responded by insisting that evidence had already been shared and accused Israel of ignoring a growing international concern over grain shipments from occupied territories. Officials in Kyiv said they were now preparing sanctions against shipping companies, traders, and individuals believed to be involved in transporting or profiting from the grain.
The dispute has also drawn attention in Europe. Officials from the said they were aware of reports that a vessel linked to Russia’s so-called shadow shipping fleet may have delivered cargo originating from occupied Ukrainian land. Brussels warned that countries or businesses helping to bypass sanctions could themselves become targets of future restrictions.
For Ukraine, the issue goes beyond agriculture. Grain has become another symbol of what Kyiv says is Russia’s broader effort to exploit occupied territories economically while trying to normalize control over land that remains internationally recognized as Ukrainian. By publicly confronting Israel, Zelenskyy appears to be signalling that Ukraine will increasingly challenge any country it believes is indirectly enabling those exports.
Moscow has so far declined to comment in detail on the latest dispute, with Kremlin officials dismissing the matter as a bilateral disagreement between Kyiv and Jerusalem. But the incident highlights how the war’s economic fallout continues to create diplomatic tensions far beyond the battlefield, reaching into global food trade and international alliances.
Source: Reuters
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