Ukraine accuses Israel of stolen grain

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday that Ukraine is preparing sanctions against Israeli individuals and companies over grain Kyiv says Russia stole from occupied Ukrainian land. (time.com) (politico.eu) Zelenskyy said another vessel carrying the grain had reached a port in Israel and was preparing to unload. Ukraine also summoned Israel’s ambassador and issued a formal protest note. (reuters.com) (time.com) The ship at the center of the latest dispute is the Panama-flagged Panormitis, which docked in Haifa on April 26, according to marine-tracking data cited by Time. Euronews reported the vessel was allegedly carrying more than 6,200 tonnes of wheat and 19,000 tonnes of barley. (time.com) (euronews.com) Kyiv treats grain taken from the four Ukrainian regions Russia claimed after its 2022 invasion, as well as Crimea, as stolen property. Ukraine says sales from those areas help finance Russia’s war effort. (reuters.com) (time.com) The dispute sharpened after Haaretz reported that four shipments of grain from occupied Ukrainian territory had already been unloaded in Israel in 2026. Politico reported that two more vessels were headed to Haifa this week. (time.com) (politico.eu) Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar rejected the allegation that Israel had ignored proof. He said the vessel had not yet entered port, had not submitted documents, and Ukraine had not filed a legal-assistance request before going public. (reuters.com) Ukraine’s foreign ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi said Kyiv had already provided “extensive information and proof” to Israeli authorities before the public clash. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha had warned a day earlier that accepting the cargo would harm bilateral relations. (reuters.com) (time.com) The European Commission told Euronews it was ready to target individuals and entities in third countries that help move stolen Ukrainian grain or circumvent sanctions. But any new European Union sanctions would still require unanimity from all 27 member states. (euronews.com) The grain fight lands on top of older strain between Kyiv and Jerusalem over Israel’s ties with Russia. Politico said Zelenskyy’s sanctions threat underlined a broader breakdown in relations between two countries that otherwise sit in the Western camp. (politico.eu) For now, the argument is over one cargo route and one port. But Kyiv is signaling that buyers, shippers and governments that touch grain from occupied territory could all become targets next. (reuters.com) (euronews.com)