Ukraine accuses Israel of importing grain ‘stolen’ by Russia as Zelenskyy warns of sanctions

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Ukraine accuses Israel of importing grain ‘stolen’ by Russia as Zelenskyy warns of sanctions

2026-04-29 00:22 Last Updated At：00:30

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine accused Israel on Tuesday of allowing the import of grain it says Russia stole from occupied areas, prompting a sharp exchange between officials.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a vessel carrying grain had arrived at an Israeli port and was preparing to unload, calling the trade illegal and warning of sanctions against those involved.

Israel claimed that the vessel had not entered the port and had not yet submitted its documents. The MarineTraffic.com marine tracking website showed the ship had been in Haifa for several days.

“In any normal country, purchasing stolen goods is an act that entails legal liability,” Zelenskyy wrote on X, adding that Ukraine’s intelligence services were preparing sanctions targeting companies and individuals profiting from the shipments.

“We will also coordinate with European partners to ensure that the relevant individuals are included in European sanctions regimes,” he said.

Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said the country’s tax authority had opened an investigation into a ship expected to dock at Haifa port.

Saar dismissed Zelenskyy’s comments as “Twitter diplomacy,” telling a press conference in Jerusalem that Ukraine had not provided sufficient information or requested legal assistance.

Heorhii Tykhyi, a spokesman for Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry, said Kyiv had informed Israeli authorities about the vessels in advance. He said more than two had arrived in Israel carrying agricultural products Ukraine described as illegally taken by Russia from occupied Ukrainian land.

The ministry said it had summoned Israel’s ambassador, Michael Brodsky, and handed him a note of protest over what it called a continuing flow of such shipments. It added that the origin of the grain had been established and that concealment methods, including ship-to-ship transfers in the Black Sea, were well known.

Despite this, the cargo continued to reach Israeli ports and enter commercial circulation, the ministry said, accusing Israel of failing to respond to formal requests to detain the vessels and cargo.

Kyiv described the issue as systemic rather than isolated, and urged Israel to halt imports it says involve stolen Ukrainian grain, warning the situation risks undermining bilateral relations.

Trump and Charles greet each other warmly as the king begins a day of diplomacy in Washington

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump and King Charles III greeted each other warmly on Tuesday as the monarch began a day of diplomacy in Washington designed to emphasize a bond between the United Kingdom and the United States that is so strong it can withstand the political turmoil of the moment.

Under gray, drizzly skies, Trump welcomed Charles and Queen Camilla to the White House in a ceremony on the South Lawn, with the president quipping that it was a “beautiful British day.” The king shook hands with members of Trump's Cabinet and joined the president for a rendition of the national anthem.

The royal visit comes at a challenging moment for U.S.-U.K. relations but is intended as a celebration of America's 250th anniversary of independence from Britain. In his welcome remarks, Trump highlighted the shared history between the two countries and sought to draw a line from King John's sealing of the Magna Carta in 1215 to the American Revolution.

“American patriots today can sing, ‘My country, ’tis of thee, sweet land of liberty,’ only because our colonial ancestors first sang, ‘God save the King,’” Trump said.

The two leaders planned to huddle in the Oval Office for a meeting that was closed to the public, reducing the potential for the freewheeling, sometimes controversial meetings with foreign officials that have become routine during Trump’s second term.

Charles will later address the U.S. Congress, only the second monarch to do so. His mother, Queen Elizabeth II, delivered a similar speech in 1991 highlighting the historic ties between both countries and the importance of their democratic values, themes Charles will likely reinforce on Tuesday. Such addresses are an opportunity afforded to only the most prominent world leaders, including Pope Francis, Václav Havel and Winston Churchill.

The congressional speech will likely mark the most expensive public remarks Charles will deliver during his four-day visit to the U.S. He's expected to address the Saturday shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in a sign of solidarity and support.

He will also acknowledge tensions that have surfaced between Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, noting that the two countries have not always agreed but have always found ways to come together.

Trump’s up-and-down relationship with Starmer has taken a particularly sour turn over the past several months as the Republican president has sought to rally international support for the war in Iran. Trump criticized Starmer, who has largely resisted his overtures, by saying “this is not Winston Churchill that we're dealing with.”

Trump has also imposed tariffs on the U.K. and warned of additional levies despite a Supreme Court ruling earlier this year that has made such unilateral moves more challenging. Trump threatened just last week to slap a “big tariff” on the U.K. if it doesn't scrap a digital services tax on U.S. technology companies.

Trump has more broadly challenged the traditional trans-Atlantic alliance with efforts to annex Greenland and threats to walk away from NATO. He has repeatedly imposed tariffs on and taunted Canada, a member of the British Commonwealth.

House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York blamed Republican policies on Monday for straining the U.S.-U.K. relationship.

“Hopefully, the king’s visit is going to go a long way toward repairing the damage that this administration has done to one of our most important allies in the world,” Jeffries said.

Meanwhile, Charles has faced some calls on Capitol Hill to meet with victims of Jeffrey Epstein while he is in the U.S. There's no indication that he will do so even as the scandal involving the convicted sex offender has ensnared his brother, who was arrested in February over misconduct allegations, which he denies.

Rep. Ro Khanna, a California Democrat who has been a leader of the push on Capitol Hill for a reckoning over Epstein, said he was told by the British ambassador to the U.S. that there would be an acknowledgment of the survivors during the congressional address.

Charles and Camilla arrived at the nation's capital on Monday and held a tea with the president and first lady Melania Trump. The royal couple will continue their U.S. trip later this week with stops in New York City and Virginia.

Associated Press writers Stephen Groves in Washington and Danica Kirka in London contributed to this report.

Ukraine accuses Israel of importing grain ‘stolen’ by Russia as Zelenskyy warns of sanctions

News

Ukraine accuses Israel of importing grain ‘stolen’ by Russia as Zelenskyy warns of sanctions

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