EU may impose sanctions against Israeli companies over Russian grain

The EU is considering imposing sanctions against individuals and legal entities from Israel who may be involved in circumventing restrictions imposed on Russia, EU Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Anouar El Anouny said in a comment to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz.

This concerns, in particular, the situation with the vessel of the so-called “shadow fleet” of the Russian Federation, which was transporting allegedly stolen Ukrainian grain and received permission to unload it in the port of Haifa. The European Union emphasized that it condemns any actions that contribute to financing Russia’s war and circumventing sanctions, and does not exclude the expansion of the sanctions lists to third countries.

In parallel, the EU, together with Ukraine, appealed to the Israeli side with a demand to provide an explanation of the circumstances of the incident. Earlier, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine summoned the Israeli ambassador due to the entry of a vessel with allegedly stolen grain into the port of Haifa.

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andriy Sybiga stated that the Ukrainian side warned Israel about a similar case on April 15, but did not receive an appropriate response. According to him, Russia illegally exported about 2 million tons of Ukrainian grain to foreign markets in 2025 alone.

The situation has already caused diplomatic tension between the countries. In particular, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar stated that such issues should be resolved through diplomatic channels, and not through public statements.

It is expected that further developments in the situation will depend on the explanations of the Israeli side and the results of the verification of the circumstances of the vessel’s entry into the port.