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ARCHIVE - The building was constructed in 1938 for the Central Committee of the Communist Party in the Soviet Republic of Ukraine. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of independent Ukraine has been based there since 1991. Photo: Friedemann Kohler/dpa
Keystone
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry in Kiev has summoned the Israeli ambassador Michael Brodsky. The background to this is the accusation of sourcing grain from Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine. "The friendly relations between Ukraine and Israel have the potential to benefit both countries, and Russia's illegal trade in stolen Ukrainian grain should not undermine them," wrote Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha on Platform X.
Despite Ukrainian warnings, a second ship with "stolen goods" has already arrived in the Israeli port of Haifa. "We once again warn Israel against accepting the stolen grain and thus damaging our relations," Sybiha added.
Israel responded immediately to the accusations. "Allegations are not evidence," Foreign Minister Gideon Saar also wrote on X. He warned that diplomatic relations should not be conducted on social networks or in the media. "They have not even submitted a request for legal assistance," he wrote. The matter is being investigated by the Israeli authorities, he added.
Almost a fifth of Ukraine's territory has been under Moscow's control since the Russian annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea in 2014 and the invasion of 2022. Ukraine considers trade in goods from the occupied territories to be illegal. Israel's relations with Russia are largely pragmatic, especially in the context of Russia's presence in the Middle East. However, Moscow's proximity to Israel's arch-enemy Iran and its allies is causing tensions.
27.04.2026, 22:06
