EU 'ready' to sanction Israel over Russian vessel carrying stolen Ukrainian grain
A diplomatic crisis has erupted between Ukraine and Israel following the arrival in Haifa of a Russian vessel reportedly carrying stolen Ukrainian grain. Brussels says it is ready to sanction those involved.
The European Union has warned Israel that it is ready to impose sanctions on those aiding and abetting the trade of Ukrainian grain stolen by Russia in the occupied territories, after a new ship loaded with the cereal arrived in the city of Haifa.
"The EU has taken note of the reports that a Russian shadow fleet vessel carrying stolen Ukrainian grain has been allowed to unload at Haifa port in Israel, despite previous contacts of Ukraine with Israeli authorities on the subject," a European Commission spokesperson told Euronews.
"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," the spokesperson added.
"We have approached the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the issue."
The arrival of the Panama-flagged vessel in Haifa has escalated tensions between Ukraine and Israel. The vessel, named Panormitis and allegedly carrying over 6,200 tonnes of wheat and 19,000 tonnes of barley, has yet to unload. However, a shipment of stolen Ukrainian grain was allowed to proceed earlier this month.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged Israel to reject the Russian vessel and said his government would start preparing "relevant sanctions", in coordination with Europeans, against those "attempting to profit from this criminal scheme".
Kyiv previously asked Brussels to deploy "all possible instruments" to cripple Moscow's global sales of plundered grain, including using Frontex, the bloc's border control agency.
Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar said the Panormitis would be "examined" and national authorities would "act in accordance with the law".
EU-level sanctions require unanimity among the 27 member states, and several Russian individuals have already been blacklisted over the seizure of Ukrainian grain. In 2024, the bloc agreed to slap tariffs on grain products from Russia and Belarus to crack down on the trade of stolen merchandise.
Unanimity, however, has been hard to secure in cases involving Israel, where sharp divisions remain among member states.
The news comes at a fraught time in EU-Israel relations over the war in the Middle East. The Israeli offensive in Lebanon, currently paused under a fragile ceasefire, has revived the debate about suspending the EU-Israel Association Agreement.
Spain, Ireland and Slovenia are among thosecalling for punitiveaction in response to the deadly strikes on Lebanese cities. However, Germany and Italy remain on the fence, and their support would be key for the qualified majority needed to partially suspend the pact.
Israel's recent move to introduce a law applying the death penalty targeted at Palestinians has also raised questions about whether the country is abiding by Article 2 of the agreement, which sets binding obligations to respect human rights.
Last year, an internal review by the European External Action Service (EEAS) found that Israel had breached Article 2 through systematic violations of international law in Gaza.
Ukraine-Israel row deepens over Russian shipments of stolen grain
In a continuation of the ongoing diplomatic uproar, Zelenskyy publicly criticised Israel on Tuesday for considering a purchase of Ukrainian grain stolen by Russia from temporarily occupied territories in southern Ukraine.
A diplomatic scandal between Ukraine and Israel over the shipment of alleged stolen Ukrainian grain being sold by Russia escalated on Tuesday, as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticised what he called is an illegitimate business.
“In any normal country, purchasing stolen goods is an act that entails legal liability,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a post on X the day after a heated public exchange between the foreign ministers of Ukraine and Israel.
“Another vessel carrying such grain has arrived at a port in Israel and is preparing to unload. This is not – and cannot be – legitimate business,” Zelenskyy said on X.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar said on Monday that "evidence substantiating the allegations have yet to be provided," as he insisted that Kyiv did not "even submit a request for legal assistance before turning to the media and social networks."
Zelenskyy responded, stating that “Ukraine has taken all necessary steps through diplomatic channels to prevent such incidents.”
The vessel in question is the Panama-flagged Panormitis, which reached waters close to Haifa on 25 April, according to the marine traffic monitoring services.
Panormitis is allegedly carrying over 6,200 tonnes of wheat and 19,000 tonnes of barley.
Kyiv calls on Israel not to let it dock and not to unload the stolen cargo.
Kyiv has summoned the Israeli Ambassador Michael Brodsky on Tuesday morning to urge action over Panormitis.
Earlier cases of stolen grain arriving in Israel reported
An investigation by Israeli news outlet Haaretz found that at least four shipments of stolen Ukrainian grain have been unloaded in Israel this year.
Kyiv insists Israel can easily verify and identify both the vessel and the origin of the shipments.
“The Israeli authorities cannot be unaware of which ships are arriving at the country’s ports and what cargo they are carrying,” Zelenskyy said on Tuesday.
“Russia is systematically seizing grain on temporarily occupied Ukrainian land and organizing its export through individuals linked to the occupiers. Such schemes violate the laws of the State of Israel itself.”
According to Ukrainian investigative journalists, Russian bulk carriers are being loaded with grain from occupied Ukrainian territories, transferred into shadow fleet vessels, before departing from Russian ports with the cargo.
According to Kyiv's estimates, at least 15 million tonnes of Ukrainian grain have been stolen by Russia since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022.
Public spat continues
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha first took to X on Monday evening, calling on Israel to reject the stolen Ukrainian grain on board thePanormitis near Haifa.
His Israeli counterpart Sa'ar was quick to respond, asking Kyiv to refrain from conducting diplomatic relations on social media.
But for Ukrainian officials, public space might seem like a more efficient means of communication after diplomatic channels proved ineffective in past incidents.
Russian bulk carrier Abinsk delivered nearly 44,000 tonnes of stolen Ukrainian wheat to Israel a few weeks ago, causing a sharp diplomatic response from Kyiv.
Ukraine’s foreign ministry stated at the time it had informed Israeli officials in advance about the Abinsk earlier this month, and yet the grain was unloaded.
According to Kyiv, Ukrainian officials informed Israel on 23 March that the Abinsk cargo contained grain from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.
Ukraine says “assurances were received regarding an appropriate response.”
Yet Abinsk was allowed to unload at the port of Haifa on 12-14 April.
“We see that yet another such vessel has not been stopped,” Zelenskyy said on Tuesday.
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