MOSCOW, May 8. /TASS/. The refusal to unload Russian grain in the port of Haifa was clearly taken under pressure from Kiev, and Moscow regrets it, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.
The diplomat said that on April 30, the Panormitis cargo ship was refused to unload Russian grain at the port of Haifa.
"The Israeli importer Tzentziper made this decision in the light of certain unnamed circumstances and offered the supplier to find another buyer on its own. After this statement, the vessel left the territorial waters of Israel. Against this background, some representatives of the Kiev regime welcomed the decision of the Israeli importer, calling it 'a clear signal' to refrain from purchasing 'stolen Ukrainian grain,'" the diplomat noted.
"Leaving aside the absurd and unsubstantiated claims of the Ukrainian side, we would like to note that Moscow regretted such a step, which was clearly taken under pressure from Kiev. This runs counter to the declared commitment of the Israeli authorities to maintaining Russian-Israeli economic cooperation and endangers the food security of Israel itself."