Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha had a phone conversation on April 14 with his Israeli counterpart Gideon Sa’ar. During the discussion, the parties talked about the situation in the Middle East and shared their assessments regarding possible developments in the region.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Ukraine Emphasized the Issue of Illegal Grain Supply
Sybiha paid special attention to the incident involving the Russian vessel that transported grain stolen from Ukraine, which was allowed to anchor in an Israeli port. The minister emphasized that the export of stolen Ukrainian agricultural products is part of Russia’s broader military actions. He stressed that such illegal trade in stolen goods must be unacceptable.
“I emphasized that the illegal export of stolen Ukrainian agricultural products is part of Russia’s broader military efforts. Such illegal trade in stolen goods should not be tolerated,” the minister stated.
During the negotiations, the parties confirmed their mutual interest in maintaining an active dialogue, particularly on security issues, and agreed to stay in constant contact. Israeli Minister Gideon Sa’ar did not publicly comment on this conversation.
Details Regarding the Vessel ABINSK and the Reaction from the Ukrainian Side
Investigative journalist SeaKrime Kateryna Yaresko reported on April 12 that the vessel ABINSK, which delivered 43,765.18 tons of wheat from the occupied territories of Ukraine to Haifa, Israel, was granted permission to dock. According to her, the vessel was loaded in the port of Kavkaz, and the cargo came from occupied Ukrainian ports. ABINSK had been awaiting permission from the Israeli side since March 23, and this permission was granted on April 12.
It is known that on March 27, Ukraine’s ambassador to Israel, Yevhen Korniychuk, met with representatives of the Israeli Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem and urged them not to allow the vessel to dock. Furthermore, according to Axios correspondent Barak Ravid, on April 8, a Ukrainian court, based on a request from the Attorney General, made a decision to detain the Russian vessel. After ABINSK arrived at the port of Haifa, Ukraine’s Attorney General Ruslan Kravchenko also officially submitted a request to Israel’s ambassador in Kyiv, Mykhailo Brodskyi, regarding the detention of the vessel. No public comments from Kravchenko on this matter have been received so far.