Ukraine Urges EU to Sanction Bangladeshi Entities over Import of Stolen Grain from Occupied Territories
Ukraine is preparing to ask the European Union to impose sanctions on Bangladeshi entities allegedly involved in the import of grain taken from Ukrainian territories occupied by Russia, following what Kyiv says were ignored warnings to halt the trade, The Gaze reports, citing Reuters.
According to Ukraine’s Ambassador to India, Oleksandr Polishchuk, confidential diplomatic communications sent by the Ukrainian Embassy in New Delhi to Bangladesh’s foreign affairs ministry in 2024 went unanswered.
The letters, urged Dhaka to reject over 150,000 tonnes of grain allegedly shipped from Russia’s port of Kavkaz and mixed with wheat sourced from occupied regions of Ukraine.
“It’s a crime,” said Polishchuk in an interview at the Ukrainian embassy. “We will share our investigation with our European Union colleagues, and we will kindly ask them to take the appropriate measures.”
Ukrainian officials say the grain comes from areas such as Crimea, occupied by Russia since 2014, and cities like Berdiansk and Kerch, controlled by Moscow since 2022.
A letter dated June 11 warned that Bangladesh could face “serious consequences” of EU sanctions for continuing the trade, arguing that such purchases fuel “humanitarian suffering.”
It also stated that penalties “may extend beyond importing companies and could also target government officials and the leadership of ministries and agencies who knowingly facilitate or tolerate such violations.”
Bangladeshi officials have denied involvement in the trade of stolen grain. A food ministry representative told Reuters that the country bars imports if the grain originates from occupied Ukrainian territories, claiming Dhaka does not accept “stolen wheat.”
Ambassador Polishchuk, however, contends that Russian exporters blend the stolen grain with domestically produced supplies to evade scrutiny. “These are not diamonds or gold. The composition of impurities does not allow for identification,” a Russian trader admitted anonymously.
The EU has already sanctioned hundreds of ships associated with Russia’s so-called shadow fleet, used to bypass restrictions on oil, arms, and grain exports. Anitta Hipper, spokesperson for EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, told Reuters that while the named vessels are not currently subject to sanctions, “any proven involvement of vessels in shipping stolen Ukrainian grain could provide the basis for future restrictive measures.”
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