The European Union and NATO welcomed on Monday the departure of the first grain shipment from Ukraine as a "first step" in alleviating the international food crisis caused by the Russian invasion.
However, the EU says Brussels still expects from Moscow "full implementation of the agreement and the resumption of Ukrainian exports to customers around the world." Earlier, the Sierra Leone-registered cargo ship Razoni left the Ukrainian port of Odessa bound for Lebanon with a load of 26,000 tons of grain.
Over the past weekend, a ship sailing under the Syrian flag carrying grain was impounded in the Lebanese port city of Tripoli, at the request of the Ukrainian embassy in Beirut. The Lebanese police are investigating the cargo of the "Laodicea."
According to the Ukrainian ambassador, the grain originates from Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories. The diplomat contacted Lebanese President Michel Aoun on Thursday regarding the "illegal" cargo of the ship. Ukraine regularly accuses Russia of "stealing" agricultural products, particularly grain, from occupied territories.
According to initial findings, the shipping company of the "Laodicea" belongs to a Turkish national and the grain is from a Syrian trader. Part of the cargo was therefore to be unloaded in Lebanon, while the rest was destined for Syria. According to the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the cargo consists of "barley and flour."
A Lebanese customs official said the ship's documents "were in order and there was no evidence that the goods were stolen." Turkish authorities had already seized the ship "should it fall under sanctions." In Lebanon, which is economically severely hit, there is currently a large shortage of bread.