EU 'ready' to sanction Israel over Russian vessel carrying stolen Ukrainian grain
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A diplomatic crisis has erupted between Ukraine and Israel following the arrival in Haifa of a Russian shadow fleet vessel 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 port of Haifa.
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"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 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 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.
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