Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy leveled a sharp public attack Tuesday against the arrival of another vessel allegedly carrying grain looted from Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory – and threatened sanctions against Israeli parties involved in unloading or trading its cargo.
In an unusually direct statement, Zelenskyy said, "In a normal country, purchasing stolen goods is an act that carries legal consequences," adding that the ship's arrival at an Israeli port could not be considered "legitimate business." He said Israeli authorities could not claim they did not know which vessels were entering their ports or what cargo those vessels were carrying.
Zelenskyy accused Russia of systematically stealing grain from Ukrainian lands under temporary Russian control and exporting it through entities linked to the occupation authorities. He said Ukraine had worked through every available diplomatic channel to prevent the cargo from arriving, but that the ship was not stopped this time either.
Based on intelligence information, he said, Kyiv was preparing a sanctions package targeting both those directly involved in transporting the grain and individuals and companies profiting from the operation. He added that Ukraine would act in coordination with its European partners to have those same parties included in European sanctions regimes.
In closing, Zelenskyy directed a pointed message to Israel, saying, "We expect the Israeli authorities to respect Ukraine and to refrain from steps that harm the bilateral relations between us."
