Ukraine is preparing a sanctions package against those accused of transporting grain out of Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories, shortly after Ukraine summoned the Israeli ambassador for allegedly accepting such shipments, Aljazeera reports.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote in a Telegram statement Tuesday that a shipment of Ukrainian grain had arrived at an Israeli port, claiming that “such transactions violate the legislation of the State of Israel itself”.
“This is not and cannot be pure business. The Israeli authorities cannot fail to know which ships and with what cargo arrive at the country’s ports,” he said.
His statement followed an X post from Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha Monday evening, saying that a second vessel delivering “stolen goods” had docked in Haifa.
The Israeli ambassador was asked to appear at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday morning so that Kyiv could “present our protest note and request appropriate action”, the minister added.
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In response, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar chided Sybiha for “turning to the media and social networks” and said “allegations are not evidence”.
The diplomatic spat unfolds as Ukrainian drones hit Russia’s Tuapse oil refinery, causing a ‘massive’ fire.