A Ukrainian diplomatic source told Reuters on Monday that Israel risks a diplomatic and legal response from Kyiv if it allows a ship carrying grain from Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory to dock in Haifa port.
Earlier, the ship Panormitis, which claimed to be carrying grain from occupied Ukrainian territory that Kyiv considers stolen, was awaiting permission to dock in Haifa.
The Ukrainian source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: “If this ship and its cargo are not refused entry, we reserve the right to take a full range of international diplomatic and legal measures.”
The Israeli Foreign Ministry has not yet responded to a request for comment.
Haaretz reported on Sunday that four shipments of grain from occupied Ukrainian territory have already been unloaded in Israel this year.
The source said, “The practice of laundering stolen goods is unacceptable, and Israel essentially ignored our demands regarding the previous ship.”
The source added that Kyiv is monitoring the ship, warning that allowing it to dock would have consequences for bilateral relations between Ukraine and Israel.
