Ukraine says it has formally asked Israel to act on ‘stolen’ grain ship, rejects claims of ‘Twitter diplomacy’

Ukraine says it has formally asked Israel to act against a vessel suspected of transporting allegedly stolen grain from occupied Ukrainian territory, following Israeli claims that Kyiv has not pursued the matter through official channels.

In a post on X, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha says Kyiv “has officially addressed Israel through diplomatic and legal channels” regarding the Panormitis vessel that is waiting to dock in Haifa’s port, charging that its cargo is being transported “in violation of international law and Ukrainian legislation.”

“The Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine has submitted a relevant request to the Israeli authorities based on a Ukrainian court ruling to arrest the vessel as part of the ongoing investigation,” Sybiha says.

“This is not Twitter diplomacy,” Sybiha adds, “but a very concrete legal and diplomatic request for international legal assistance that necessitates a response. We expect the Israeli side to take it seriously rather than responding with emotional statements.”

Sybiha’s statement comes a day after Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar accused Ukraine of conducting “Twitter diplomacy,” saying Kyiv had neither submitted a formal request for legal assistance nor provided evidence to back its claims.

Sa’ar’s remarks followed an X post by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warning that Kyiv was preparing to place sanctions on those involved in the transaction.