April 15 (Reuters) - Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha held a call with his Israeli counterpart Gideon Sa'ar to discuss a Russian vessel carrying what he described as grain stolen from Ukraine
Ukraine Raises Issue of 'Stolen' Russian Grain Cargo With Israel in Call
Ukrainian-Israeli Diplomatic Discussions Over Russian Grain Shipments
Background of the Dispute
April 15 (Reuters) - Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha held a call with his Israeli counterpart Gideon Sa'ar to discuss a Russian vessel carrying what he described as grain stolen from Ukraine that was allowed to dock in an Israeli port.
Kyiv considers all grain produced in the four regions Russia claimed as its own since invading Ukraine in 2022, and Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014, to have been stolen by Moscow.
Statements from Ukrainian Officials
"I stressed that the illegal export of stolen Ukrainian agricultural products is part of Russia's broader war effort," Sybiha said late on Tuesday in a post on X. "Such illegal trade with stolen goods must not be allowed."
International Recognition and Russian Claims
Russia refers to the four regions as its "new territories", but they are still internationally recognised as Ukrainian.
Scale of Alleged Grain Theft
Sybiha said in March that Russia moved more than 2 million tons of stolen Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea last year. Ukrainian official estimated in August that Russia has stolen 15 million tons of Ukrainian grain since the start of the full-scale war.
Other Topics Discussed in the Call
The foreign minister added that the two also talked about security matters and the situation in the Middle East.
"We reaffirmed our mutual interest in advancing the bilateral agenda and maintaining an active dialogue, including on security-related matters," he said.
Reporting Credits
(Reporting by Anna Pruchnicka; Editing by Daniel Flynn and Jan Harvey)
