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AzerNEWS Staff

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Relations between Ukraine and Israel have plummeted to a fresh low this week following a public and acerbic exchange between their foreign ministers over a ship allegedly carrying "stolen" Ukrainian grain.

The diplomatic row erupted on Monday when Ukraine formally summoned the Israeli ambassador to deliver a note of protest. Kyiv is demanding that Israeli authorities block the Panormitis, a bulk carrier currently anchored off the port of Haifa. According to Ukrainian intelligence and maritime tracking data, the vessel is transporting thousands of tons of wheat and barley plundered by Russian forces from occupied territories.

Digital diplomacy and "Twitter Wars"

The dispute moved from the corridors of power to social media, exposing the raw nerves of a relationship already strained by Israel’s cautious stance on the war in Ukraine.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha took to X to express his frustration, noting that this is the second such vessel to arrive in Haifa in recent weeks. "Friendly Ukrainian-Israeli relations have the potential to benefit both countries, and Russia's illegal trade with stolen Ukrainian grain should not undermine them," Sybiha wrote, adding that he found Israel’s "lack of appropriate response" difficult to understand.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar fired back with a sharp rebuke, signaling a preference for traditional—and slower—legal channels over public pressure.

"Dear Minister, diplomatic relations, especially between friendly nations, are not conducted on Twitter or in the media," Sa’ar replied.

Sa’ar dismissed the Ukrainian claims as "allegations" and maintained that Kyiv had failed to submit a formal request for legal assistance. He insisted that Israeli authorities would "examine the matter" but only "in accordance with the law."

The "Shadow Fleet" in Haifa

The Panormitis is not an isolated case. Earlier in April, the Russian bulk carrier Abinsk reportedly delivered over 43,000 tons of wheat to Haifa after departing from occupied Crimea, according to The Kyiv Independent. The source says that investigative projects such as SeaKrime have highlighted a sophisticated "laundering" process, where grain is harvested in occupied Berdiansk, transferred at sea to obscure its origin, and then sold on international markets.

A relationship at the breaking point

For Kyiv, the grain shipments are more than a commercial dispute; they represent a direct subsidy to the Russian war effort. Diplomatic sources in Ukraine have warned that if the Panormitis is allowed to unload its cargo, Kyiv "reserves the right to use the full range of diplomatic response measures," hinting at a potential downgrading of ties.

As the Panormitis sits in the Mediterranean swell, the outcome of this standoff will serve as a litmus test for Israel’s foreign policy: whether it will uphold its stated "neutrality" or risk a total fracture with a nation that increasingly views Tel Aviv's silence as complicity.